WayneLINC Connecting Job Seekers with Opportunity in Wayne County

Overview

WayneLINC, a partnership between Wayne County and SEMCA, launched with the mission of providing career guidance, training, and support services to job seekers across the region. 

The Challenge

Despite offering a wide range of no-cost services, awareness of the platform was low, and public engagement was limited.

SEMCA needed a marketing partner to:

• Build broad awareness of WayneLINC and its service offerings

• Drive job seekers to explore and enroll in programs

• Help shift public perception of the county’s role in workforce development

The challenge was to bring visibility to a voluntary program and connect meaningfully with underserved and underrepresented communities throughout Wayne County.

The Strategy

Strive crafted a full-funnel marketing campaign built around authenticity, access, and action. Our approach emphasized the human stories behind WayneLINC’s services, while delivering clear information on how and where to get started.

WayneLINC selected Strive not only for our creative approach, but for the following strategic advantages:

• Quick turnaround timeline and competitive cost

• Direct involvement of company leadership and a single point of contact

• A strong social media plan designed for high impact and reaching diverse audiences

• Consideration of the goals of the client base, not just the organization’s goals, during our presentation

• Emphasis on data, optimization, and ROI

Key tactics included:

• Video PSAs using real testimonials

• Paid media campaigns across Meta, YouTube, and Google

• Informational postcards distributed at job fairs, training centers, and American Job Centers

• A media mix built for both reach and efficiency

All creative and messaging aligned to a central goal: showing job seekers that WayneLINC isn’t just a resource; it’s a launchpad for their future.

What We Created

The Results

Strive’s campaign helped transform WayneLINC from having limited exposure into a county-wide catalyst for connection and opportunity.

Key Outcomes

• 6,300+ visitors to the WayneLINC portal

• 1,800+ enrollments across programs

• One career event more than doubled expected attendance 

• Over 600 individuals trained (target = 500), with 300 more waitlisted

• Most programs exceeded performance benchmarks, with a minimum goal of 50% enrollment;

certain messaging categories reached enrollment rates of 71% and 64%.

Strategic Shifts

• Early tests on LinkedIn were paused due to low efficiency; funds were reallocated to Meta, where CPC and CTR consistently improved month over month

• Video performance was strongest in priority areas (e.g., Inkster, River Rouge), which received increased video budget as the campaign progressed

Campaign Performance Metrics

• Cost-per-click on Meta platforms averaged just $1.03, making the campaign highly cost-efficient

• Search ads targeting employment readiness and driving privilege reinstatement saw CTRs of 7.5% to 12.6%, with CPCs under $9

• YouTube video ads reached CTRs up to 0.35% at a CPC as low as $5.11

The Impact

The campaign not only exceeded enrollment goals but also reshaped how Wayne County leaders viewed the role of communications in workforce development.

• The County Communications team began actively collecting WayneLINC success stories and participating in events

• County HR teams cited stronger jobseeker turnout and began exploring more direct hiring collaborations

• SEMCA praised Strive for its flexibility, fast pivots, and ability to fill key communication gaps throughout the engagement

What began as a campaign to build awareness quickly evolved into a platform for long-term workforce empowerment across Wayne County.