ExploreVA

Challenge

VA partnered with DCG to create ExploreVA, a national campaign to simplify the process of learning about and applying for VA benefits. Explore.VA.gov houses all benefit information in one place, serving as a simple way for Veterans to navigate and search for benefits they may be eligible to receive. More recently, VA was in search of ways to increase awareness of and enrollment in VA benefits. DCG was ready for the challenge.

Approach

Facebook’s available features and wide audience made it the best platform to use in this effort. Throughout the contract year, DCG planned and executed several Facebook Live events to connect Veterans with benefits resources. For many of the events, DCG partnered with organizations possessing a large Veteran network to spread ExploreVA messages to untapped audiences.

In August 2017, DCG coordinated the first Facebook Live event hosted on VA’s Facebook page. The panel included two VA digital team members as moderators and three Veterans who shared their experiences and spoke to the ease of using Explore.VA.gov to research VA benefits.

Results

  • Through DCG’s promotion efforts, the August event garnered:
    • 27,667 video views
    • 430 total comments from both participants and hosts
    • 134,958 people reached
    • 546 peak live viewers
    • 287 total shares
    • 656 total reactions
  • The ExploreVA events page received 28,087 total page views, 23,961 that were unique, and more than 6,000 users visited a secondary page. Over 28% of those users started the application process.