A Social Media–Based Public Health Campaign Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccination Across the US
A three-part Facebook campaign promoting COVID-19 vaccination in the US reached 25 million people between April and June 2021, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health. Each person reached saw the campaign an average of 6.8 times. Upswell provided technical support for the campaign.
The campaign tested whether Facebook advertising could raise COVID-19 vaccination rates and address disparities among racial minorities. The team used video and still-image ads designed for their target audiences. The three campaigns aimed to counter misinformation by spreading high-quality health information on social media.
In the first campaign, physicians from diverse backgrounds said in videos that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. The second focused on vaccine access and scheduling in California, with ads linking to a scheduling helpline in Spanish and English. The third featured videos from 14 religious leaders of different faith traditions.
Facebook provided advertising credit to run the ads. All ad content is available on the PCRT Stanford website.
Read the paper in the American Journal of Public Health.
