Table 2.

Social media platform strategies.

Social media platform and specific strategy		Strategy description	Representative quotes	Studies providing evidence
Blogs
	Blog post stories	Posting insightful stories related to the priority-setting research project with the goal of promoting participation	“Weekly blogs by the chief executive officer profiling stories that are particularly moving or insightful, as well as internal news on the project.”	Shields et al [29]
	Project news posting	Posting internal news or updates related to the priority-setting research project	“Some organisations or individuals promoted the study on Twitter or a blog.”	Dyson et al [14]
Emails
	Embedded links	Embedding survey links within emails to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“Invitations to participate in the research and a link to the online survey (in the relevant language) were sent via email. Those approached to complete the survey were identified using membership lists of the African Palliative Care Association (APCA).”	Allsop et al [12], Correll et al [13]; Han et al [18], Kriss et al [21], Siefried et al [30], and Wojcieszek et al [33]
	Mailing list distribution	The use of an existing mailing list to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“A link to an initial electronic survey (created using REDCap) was emailed to members of Cure JMa, AFb and LFAc patient and family members and posted on their respective social media sites. The ranking survey was emailed to the Cure JM, AF, and LFA listservs and a link was posted on their respective social media sites.”	Allsop et al [12], Correll et al [13], Han et al [17], Siefried et al [30], and Wojcieszek et al [33]
	Peer-to-peer dissemination	Using a tell a friend tool, which invites friends and colleagues to participate (peer-to-peer messaging) in the priority-setting research project	“Tell a Friend tool to invite friends or colleagues to participate, using e-mail-based peer-to-peer messaging.”	Shields et al [29]
	Reminders to participate	Sending email reminders to individuals about the opportunity to participate in the priority-setting research project	“We sent an initial e-mail on Tuesday, January 30, 2017, at 12:00 PM EST to potential participants and, on subsequent Tuesdays between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM EST, sent 5 weekly reminders to those who had not yet responded.”	Eberman et al [16], Han et al [17], Kriss et al [21], and Wojcieszek et al [33]
	Reminders to finish survey	Sending email reminders to individuals who began the survey but only partially completed it	“Reminder emails were sent to non-responders and to individuals who began the survey but only partially completed it.”	Kriss et al [21] and Wojcieszek et al [33]
Facebook
	Embedded links to create ease of participation	Embedding simple and direct links within Facebook posts to external sites related to participation in the priority-setting research project	“Simple ‘How to Participate’ area that provided a visual menu of the ways to get involved, with simple links to take participants directly to the tools. Resource Centre page with access to links, documents and reports to help participants deepen their knowledge of the technical health challenges in the region.”	Normansell et al [5] and Shields et al [29]
	Engagement of advertising strategists	Hiring a Facebook advertising strategist to plan the social media campaign used for promoting participation in the priority-setting research project	“Tactica Interactive, a digital media enterprise, was hired to broaden our sampling frame via a Facebook advertising strategy.”	Dyson et al [15]
	Providing participation explanation	Creating a Facebook section that explains how to participate in the priority-setting research project	“Simple ‘How to Participate’ area that provided a visual menu of the ways to get involved, with simple links to take participants directly to the tools.”	Dyson et al [15]
	Use of private and public pages	Creating both public and private Facebook groups to allow private discussion among participants in the priority-setting research project	“Announcement of the vEDSd Collaborative survey was disseminated via vEDS public and private social media pages.” “Secret Facebook groups, providing optimal security, were set up for newly recruited research-aware parents (RAPs) to communicate privately and confidentially with each other and for the research team to generate questions and to interpret findings.”	Dyson et al, [14], Shalhub et al [28], and Sinclair et al [31]
	Providing project explanation	Creating a section on Facebook page dedicated to explaining the priority-setting research project and how participation could have an impact	“‘About our Project’ section to provide participants with specific details on how their participation would affect the North West LHINe decision-making and the second IHSPf.”	Shields et al [29]
	Question and answer	Using and moderating a web-based question-and-answer thread on Facebook to promote discussion topics regarding research participation	“To encourage engagement and re-engagement, the site moderator used online question and answer threads to keep promoting new discussion topics and emailed a weekly topic to all the registered users to encourage them to come back.”	Han et al [17] and Sinclair et al [31]
	Resource center	Creating a resource center with links to documents and reports on the Facebook page	“‘Resource Centre’ page with access to links, documents and reports to help participants deepen their knowledge of the technical health challenges in the region.”	Shields et al [29]
	Private and secret groups	Creating private Facebook groups to allow private discussion among participants in the priority-setting research project	“Announcement of the vEDS Collaborative survey was disseminated via vEDS public and private social media pages”	Shalhub et al [28] and Sinclair et al [31]
Newsletter
	Distribution through the researcher’s existing network	Distributing newsletter to an existing network to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“To increase our reach and the likelihood of participation, the NATAg marketing team distributed our recruitment announcement and link to volunteers via the ‘‘Range of Motion’’ newsletter to all registered attendees 5 and 6 weeks before the conference.”	Han et al [18], Eberman et al [16], and Siefried et al [30]
	Frequent promotion	Sending monthly newsletters to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“Social media promotion through Facebook and Twitter and monthly electronic newsletters from DiabetesSisters.”	Han et al [18] and Han et al [17]
Web-based forums	Idea sharing	Creating forums through which families and researchers could share their ideas related to the priority-setting research project	“Moderated online group where families and researchers can share ideas related to research.”	Russell et al [26]
Reddit	Posting of promotional material	The use of Reddit as a social media platform used to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“Announcement of the vEDS Collaborative survey was disseminated via vEDS public and private social media pages.”	Shalhub et al [28]
Twitter
	Hashtags	Using Twitter hashtags to attract participants and generate conversation among relevant stakeholders	“A bespoke Twitter account was set up @questionCF with the associated hashtag #questionCF. This was managed by members of the steering group and aimed to promote the online surveys and increase participation.”	Rowbotham et al [25]
	Question and answer	Creating a post for inviting participants to ask questions about the priority-setting research project, which was moderated by steering group members	“A bespoke Twitter account was set up @questionCF with the associated hashtag #questionCF. This was managed by members of the steering group and aimed to promote the online surveys and increase participation.”	Rowbotham et al [25]
	Live chats	Host Twitter accounts tweeting about predefined topics with questions over a set period, during a scheduled chat, to which Twitter users respond via tweets and engage in discussions with each other. Tweets from participants are limited to 280 characters and participants typically include an assigned hashtag in their tweet, thus allowing aggregation of the conversation.	“The tweet chat hosts (@BTSMchat and @HPMchat, respectively) tweeted the 4 predefined topics (Table 1) with questions over a 60-minute period during a scheduled chat. The hosts alerted tweet chat participants that the transcript of the chat would be subject to qualitative analysis and used to inform research. One tweet question was posted roughly every 15 minutes. Twitter users responded to the questions and engaged in discussions with each other. On Twitter, responses are limited to 280 characters, and participants were instructed to add the #BTSM or #HPM hashtag to aggregate the conversation.”	Salmi et al [27]
YouTube	Welcome video	Using YouTube to create a personal welcome message on Facebook pages, inviting users to participate in the priority-setting research project	“On the site’s home page, YouTube video personal welcome message.”	Shields et al [29] and Shalhub et al [28]
Website	Posting of promotional material	Discussing the use of websites with survey as a social media platform used to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“We created an online and social media presence via a study website (Outcomes in Child Health)...” “We collaborated with organisations interested in ARIh and patient engagement to advertise our research via websites and other channels...”	Allsop et al [12], Dyson et al, Normansell et al [5], and Sylvia et al [32]
Video calling	Digital connection to promote participation	Discussing the use of video-calling or internet-based face-to-face interactions to promote participation in the priority-setting research project	“Discussed details about the project and the parents’ research needs through face-to-face social media platforms such as Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime, or via video chat on Facebook Messenger to build trust.”	Sinclair et al [31]

^aJM: juvenile myositis.

^bAF: Arthritis Foundation.

^cLFA: Lupus Foundation of America.

^dvEDS: vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

^eLHIN: local health integration network.

^fIHSP: integrated health services plan.

^gNATA: National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

^hARI: acute respiratory infection.