Office of InnovationBusiness.NJ.Gov Digital Marketing User Activation Campaign
The C+E Lab worked with the Business.NJ.gov team to develop and launch a digital marketing campaign designed to increase use of the site, drive awareness, and help accelerate outcomes.
Challenge
The Business.NJ.gov team relies on user testing and site data to inform their work. But traffic had plateaued on Business.NJ.Gov, limiting the platform’s impact with business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs throughout the state. The product team engaged the C+E Lab to increase users to the site, drive awareness, and help accelerate outcomes.
Innovation In Action
To help the Business.NJ.gov team reach and activate audiences, the C+E Lab developed an initial multi-channel campaign to increase site traffic and drive learnings. Expanding on the beta campaign’s impact, the C+E Lab conducted audience research to uncover insights about their motivations for a larger campaign. Using that insight, the C+E Lab developed a campaign to bring to life how Business.NJ.gov helps independent businesses succeed. The C+E Lab deployed a video-first approach to reach Business.NJ.gov’s audience on their preferred platform, with their preferred format, maximizing the campaign’s storytelling ability. The C+E Lab led the end-to-end campaign and has advanced optimization strategies to maximize performance. Prior to the C+E Lab, the State would have needed to outsource these tasks to a marketing agency, but with the Lab, it now has those advanced capabilities in-house.
Impact + Metrics
- Ethnographic research uncovered what business owners/operators and entrepreneurs really want from government is help so they (and their business) can succeed.
- A communication strategy was developed to show how Business.NJ.gov helps independent business owners succeed.
- A zip code model to identify members of underserved communities was developed, allowing us to effectively reach, track and validate our efforts.
- Insight-based creative was tested and validated to increase awareness, intent, believability, and equitable appeal.
- As of August 2024, since the campaign launched, total users are up 75% year over year. Usage from members of underserved communities is up 172% year over year, and visits from Spanish-speaking users are up more than 778% year over year. So these efforts are reaching audiences not traditionally reached through State channels and magnifying the site’s impact by expanding its reach.
Status
- The paid media campaign will be ongoing through February 2025.
- The C+E Lab is continuing to work with the Business.NJ.gov team to promote its tools and better understand its audience.
- The C+E Lab is leading the production of new Spanish-language assets for the campaign and is partnering with the product team to develop “how to” and informational videos to live on Business.NJ.gov and be tested for their ability to improve on-site performance.
Partners
- Office of the Governor
- NJ State Department of State, Business Action Center
- NJ Economic Development Authority
- NJ State Department of Treasury
- NJ Redevelopment Authority
- NJ Small Business Development Centers
Last updated on 9/27/24
