A digital campaign crafted to reach kids who needed tutoring in reading.
The Overview
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) reached out to Gatorworks for us to assist them in a statewide reading support program. LDOE needed a strategic digital campaign to connect with families of K–5 students who could benefit from extra help in reading. Gatorworks designed a comprehensive approach to boost awareness, drive website traffic, and encourage families to register for this valuable resource.
The Objectives
Raising awareness for a state-funded literacy program isn’t just about casting a wide net, it is about reaching the right people with the right message. Many parents and guardians in Louisiana had no idea this resource existed, even though it was available to every child in need of extra reading support. Our challenge was to connect with these families in a way that felt approachable, clear, and motivating, while also targeting specific parishes with low literacy rates and tailoring outreach for language preferences.
Targeted Emails
Email marketing played a pivotal role in connecting directly with families. Each month of the campaign, we sent one highly relevant, carefully crafted email, deploying 250,000 targeted emails to inboxes. We delivered messaging that avoided heavy jargon and instead focused on encouragement, support, and clear next steps. These emails were paired with retargeting impressions to extend the campaign’s reach. The targeted emails achieved a 17.05% open rate, well above the 12% goal, and generated 6,313 clicks to the program website, delivering a 2.53% click-through rate (CTR) that surpassed the Gatorworks 2% goal.
Programmatic Advertising
We used site retargeting, geofencing, and addressable geofencing to serve ads in priority parishes where literacy scores were falling behind, while still maintaining a presence across the entire state. In Jefferson and Orleans parishes, ads were tailored based on language settings, ensuring Spanish-speaking households received content that resonated. This strategic layering of geographic and demographic targeting helped the campaign make meaningful connections with the right audience.
Google Ads
In addition to programmatic efforts, we ran a five-month Google Ads campaign focused on driving families directly to the program website. The campaign delivered 17,909 impressions and 2,657 clicks, achieving a 14.84% CTR—a strong indicator of high intent from search users. This channel generated 403 conversions, including 46 calls directly from ads and 357 parent certification submissions, directly impacting program sign-ups. The precision of search targeting allowed us to capture families actively looking for reading help, making this one of the highest performing channels in the campaign.
Project Summary
Through a coordinated mix of targeted emails, programmatic advertising, and Google Ads, Gatorworks helped bring critical reading support services to Louisiana families who needed it most. Each tactic played a distinct role—email marketing drove strong engagement, programmatic display built statewide awareness, and Google Ads captured high-intent traffic that converted into real program registrations. By focusing on clarity, accessibility, and smart targeting, our team not only raised awareness of the program but inspired real action.