I’ve been asked a few times recently whether Facebook Ads still work for recruiting patients. I’ve even had somebody tell me that Facebook Ads specifically don’t work anymore.

Well, my experience tells a different story. I think people have seen reports about Facebook dropping its health-related targeting options, and have conflated that with the complexities of modern trials – many of which have very strict eligibility criteria.

It’s like telling the marketing department of Mercedes-Benz that you can’t sell a Mercedes through TV advertising. My response being nobody is expected to see a TV ad for a Mercedes then simply scan a QR code in order to purchase one. The TV ad raises awareness of the existence of the car, in the same way a Facebook ad raises awareness of the existence of a clinical trial. Given that awareness is one of the biggest issues for patient recruitment, that’s why Facebook Ads can still be very effective.