Use Google Ads Insights to Improve Clinical Trial Recruitment on Social Media

social media and google ads

Marketing channels work best when they work together. Clinical trials can use information gathered from Google to build more effective social media campaigns.

With approximately 74% of internet users regularly on social media, platforms like Facebook are playing an essential role in recruiting patients for clinical trials. However, executing an effective social media campaign takes more than running a few paid ads. It’s important for medical marketers to gather data about their audiences in order to serve relevant social content that speaks to patients’ needs.

One way that trial sponsors and CROs can increase traffic and drive results is to use insights from Google Ads to build their social media strategy. This approach helps studies develop campaigns around patients’ interests, locations, and other inclusion/exclusion criteria.

By implementing strategic targeting on social media, marketers increase the chance of ads being shown to qualified candidates who are likely to enroll in a particular study. With these benefits in mind, here are four simple ways clinical trials can use Google insights to optimize social campaigns and boost patient enrollment.

Gather Data on Demographics

Google Ads can help sponsors and CROs gather valuable information about the demographics of their audiences. Google automatically segments campaigns into categories like gender, age, and income to see how each different bracket is performing. For example, a trial might find that certain ads are more popular with females than males, or that a particular campaign is most successful with candidates aged 30-39.

Clinical trials can use this data to build social audiences by focusing on top demographics or recruiting more heavily for poor performers. Either way, social media helps sponsors and CROs fill in the gaps of recruitment by reaching patients who meet their criteria.

Zero in on Location

CROs can use Google’s data to find out which site locations are attracting more patients, and which areas need the most help. Marketers may want to group different regions together based on performance and segment social messaging this way.

Clinical trials can also use this information to invest more resources in social promotions for underperforming locations. By cross-referencing ad performance data with site recruitment stats, trials can identify which strategic moves must be made to hit enrollment targets at a given site.

Hone Message Content

The results of Google Ad campaigns will reveal which keywords and messages are the most effective at attracting new patients. Marketers can use this information to determine the focus of social media messaging and craft relevant copy. Content that performs well on search is likely to be successful on social as well, which means that clinical trials can spend less time testing different messages to see what works.

Build Audience Profiles

Clinical trials can use Google’s audience insights tools to learn valuable information about who their potential patients are – beyond the conditions a trial is targeting for. This data includes what types of devices target audiences are using and which topics they’re most interested in, whether that be fitness, family, or food. Marketers can use this information to craft effective content and build relevant audience groups.

When social campaigns are set up correctly, they will likely bring in high quality patient leads who are ready to move through the enrollment process. An experienced marketing partner can boost enrollment by integrating insights across marketing platforms while saving trials money and improving recruitment timelines.

Share this:

Back to Blog Home