Everywhere You Look, UT — Paid Social Campaign

To support the University of Tennessee System’s Everywhere You Look, UT mural initiative—aimed at installing murals in all 95 Tennessee counties by 2030—I led a multi-platform paid social campaign designed to reach underserved counties and test digital advertising as a supplement to traditional outreach.

Project Snapshot

Role

As Assistant Director of Web and Digital Communications, I led the campaign end to end—shaping the strategy, managing execution across platforms, and analyzing performance to inform future recommendations.

Project Type

Master’s Practicum — University of Tennessee System

Budget

$2,000

Timeline

August–December 2024

Platform(s)

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

The Challenge

Traditional outreach methods alone were not reaching all Tennessee counties equally. Many rural and underserved communities lacked awareness of the mural initiative, limiting participation and slowing progress toward statewide goals. The challenge was to determine whether paid social could effectively expand reach, improve awareness, and generate mural submissions in harder-to-reach areas—within a limited budget and timeframe.

Strategic Approach

To address this challenge, I led the development and execution of a multi-platform paid social strategy—from goal-setting and audience research through platform optimization and performance analysis. The campaign strategy was grounded in the AIDA model and Dodson’s 3i framework (Initiate, Iterate, Integrate), allowing for structured testing, iteration, and real-time optimization.

Key strategic decisions included:

Defining a SMART goal aligned to submission outcomes
Developing audience personas (e.g., farm owners, alumni, civic leaders)
Selecting platforms based on audience density and CPC trends
Allocating budget to maximize reach and learning within 30 days

Campaign Performance and Insights

Across a 30-day campaign, the paid social effort generated 129,430 in total reach and 318,414 impressions, resulting in 6,093 link clicks and an overall 3.39% click-through rate at an average $0.38 CPC.

This provided a strong foundation for evaluating platform effectiveness and audience response.

Metric Tracked/Measured	Results
Total Reach	129,430
Total Impressions	318,414
Total Link Clicks	6,093
Overall CTR	3.39%
Average CPC	$0.38

Facebook

Facebook was the strongest-performing platform overall, delivering the lowest cost per click ($0.11) and the only confirmed mural submissions. Carousel ads proved especially effective, balancing reach, engagement, and conversion efficiency.

Instagram

Instagram generated high engagement through shares and saves—particularly among younger alumni—supporting brand awareness goals. However, lower click-through rates indicated the platform was better suited for visibility than direct action.

LinkedIn ads produced longer dwell times on carousel formats but underperformed in budget efficiency. Geo-targeting constraints limited precision, and reported “conversions” reflected engagement rather than mural submissions.

Reflection and Future Direction

Key insights from the campaign that will inform future paid social efforts.

Targeting Behavior Matters:  Both Meta and LinkedIn overrode geographic targeting when advanced audience settings were enabled, resulting in ads being served in already-covered counties. 

Action Taken:  I adjusted targeting controls mid-campaign, improving geographic accuracy and confirming a viable mural submission.

Facebook Performs for Action: Delivered the lowest CPC and the only confirmed mural submissions, making it the most effective platform for future outreach.

Instagram Supports Awareness: High engagement through shares and saves indicated strong brand visibility, but lower CTR limited direct action.

LinkedIn Drives Engagement—at a Cost: Carousel ads achieved longer dwell times, though geo-targeting limitations reduced budget efficiency.

Use Paid Social Strategically: Paid social is most effective as a supplement to traditional outreach—not a replacement—especially for statewide initiatives.

Prioritize Platform Strengths: Future campaigns should lead with Facebook, while using Instagram and LinkedIn to support awareness and engagement goals.

Design for Iteration: Early testing, tighter targeting controls, and real-time optimization will be prioritized from launch.

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