Facebook Groups and PagesA study team member [name here and link to Facebook profile] will be submitting the post content and images below to Facebook groups and pages related to potential participants.

GroupsDefinition of a Facebook groupWhile Pages were designed to be the official profiles for entities, such as celebrities, brands or businesses, Facebook Groups are the place for small group communication and for people to share their common interests and express their opinion. Groups allow people to come together around a common cause, issue or activity to organize, express objectives, and discuss issues, post photos and share related content.

When you create a group, you can decide whether to make it publicly available for anyone to join, require administrator approval for members to join or keep it private and by invitation only. Like with Pages, new posts by a group are included in the News Feeds of its members and members can interact and share with one another from the group.

PagesDefinition of a Facebook page Like a friend's profile, Facebook Pages enable public figures, businesses, organizations and other entities to create an authentic and public presence on Facebook. Unlike your profile, Facebook Pages are visible to everyone on the internet by default. You, and every person on Facebook, can connect with these Pages by becoming a fan and then receive their updates in your News Feed and interact with them.

Posting processBelow is a list of pages that the study team members will request to post. Study team members must first Facebook message the page moderator for permission to post.

The moderator of the page will share the content. The study team will be clear in that this is IRB-approved content and cannot be altered. The study team will also advise the group and page moderator to include study team contact information if there are questions and comments on the post.

The moderator of the page will be responsible for monitoring comments, although members of the study team are welcome to pay attention and follow the posts as they are public.

Study details and study concerns will not be answered on Facebook or Facebook messenger. Any direct messages received through Facebook should follow the above template for response.

If common questions are posted (several people comment the same question), study team member may post an overall answer to the post, but must include direct study team contact information.

Posting processBelow is a list of groups and pages that the study team members will request to post. Study team members must first Facebook message the group or page moderator for permission to post.

The study team will not join the private groups. Instead, the study team will message the group moderators and ask to post on behalf of the study team.

Facebook Groups + Pages

The study team will be clear in that this is IRB-approved content and cannot be altered. The study team will also advise the group and page moderator to include study team contact information if there are questions and comments on the post.

Contact messages The message to the group and page moderators will use the template below. Social media managers with UF email addresses will also be contacted and use the email template below.

Hello (group/page moderator),

My name is [name] and I am a research coordinator at the University of Florida.

We are recruiting [study population] for a study about [briefly describe study in one sentence].

I was hoping you would be willing to post the following IRB-approved text and content in your group on behalf of the study team.

You can read more about the study here: [will link to UF Health study listing]

This study and the content I will be sending you is UF IRB-approved so please do not make adjustments. If you find there are a lot of questions/concerns about the study, please have them contact me [phone] or [email].

Thank you!

[Image and post text will be submitted in a separate message by designating “here is the post text” and “here is the image”]

Study details and study concerns will not be answered on Facebook or Facebook messenger. Any direct messages received through Facebook should suggest the user contacts the study team through UF email or phone.

List of Groups and Pages Pages

UF Studies

Groups

Gainesville FL Chewy Parenting

Text Create short, engaging content. Facebook posts only allow for a certain amount of content

before you need to click to expand and read more information. Here are some examples:

o A tobacco study at UF is seeking participants who live in rural Florida. Compensation provided. Visit the study website for more information: http://bit.ly/2JUrSEo

o If you have recommended mindfulness apps to your clients, researchers at UF would like to hear from you. Compensation is available for eligible individuals who are chosen for

Facebook Groups + Pages

a one-hour Zoom interview. Visit the study website to learn more and complete the screening survey: http://bit.ly/UFmindfulness

o A study from the University of Florida is seeking to understand the difference between proton therapy and photon therapy in treating prostate cancer. If you are between the ages of 30-80 and have been diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer, we encourage you to learn more about the study on our website here: https://comppare.org/. You can also email comppare-admin@ufl.edu if you have any questions.

Images: You can create your own social media image using Canva Your image should be optimized for social media, for example, do not include an image or PDF

of your flyer (an example can be found below, delete before submitting to the IRB) Make sure your images are relevant to your study and represent your target audience Additional image tips can be found here

Examples

Facebook Groups + Pages

Facebook Groups + Pages

Facebook Groups + Pages