SHANNON SIMCOX

It’s rare that a marketing opportunity so obviously presents itself, but being asked to join an event that is branded as a popular game show was definitely a gift. The Fundingsland Group reached out to me in October 2024 with a request to help gain eyeballs on their optometric education taking place in a few short weeks: Who Wants to be an Eyecare Millionaire. I said, sign me up.

From the jump, I knew that trivia was going to play a part in this marketing campaign, in addition to shout outs for faculty members, call outs for the location, and general information about the topic areas, which included ocular surface disease, retinal disease, and glaucoma. What better way to showcase the value of education in these topic areas than to ask some questions! 

I used trivia questions twice in the campaign for this education, in advance to gain registrants, and following publication of the recording.  This was because the data indicated that the content resonated with our ideal audience, garnering impressions, engagements, and click-through rates noticeably and consistently higher than other content.

To tell the story of using data-driven marketing strategy to achieve results, in this article I’ll share with you a little behind-the-scenes look at the Who Wants to be a an Eyecare Millionaire promotion, including:

• How trivia content was made
• How we used data from analytics to guide strategic marketing decisions
• How we created intentional growth for Who Wants to be an Eyecare Millionaire

The Initial Challenge: Engage Eye Care Providers

The first mark of success of this marketing campaign, based on the data, was to get as close to the targeted number of learners registered for the in-person and virtual events as possible. For this round of trivia, I brainstormed the motivations of our ideal audience, optometrists and eye care providers in the United States, connected to the topic areas to be covered at the event. 

• That a disease state had a broad patient base, and was likely to affect primary care optometrists 
• That there is new information required to best serve patients who have specific issues
• That the eye care solutions presented are within their scope of practice to meet the needs of patients

I then drew on statistics about prevalence, peer-reviewed journal articles with updates, and standard-of-care guides from governing organizations to create multiple-choice trivia questions reviewed and signed off by faculty members. 

Creatively, we then had to decide how to deliver this message visually to the audience and technically in a way that works with the algorithm. I went with LinkedIn carousels for this first round, and moved the idea to successive slides that would get the audience members from query to answer to information about the upcoming event. 

Let Data Inform Content Direction

Each topic area was covered with at least one question, resulting in a few weeks of content to be distributed on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. As this campaign was published, we gathered analytics that showed the post getting in front of our ideal audience and engaging them enough that they were compelled to click to find out the answer to the trivia question. 

Among the data we monitored for this campaign was the click-through rate. Trivia questions related to retinal conditions, Demodex blepharitis, and presbyopia garnered click-through rates of 31%, 20%, and 16%. 

With this clear feedback from the audience that trivia content resonated with them, we pocketed the idea and revisited it again for the promotion of the event replay. 

Data-driven Marketing Strategy Provides Clarity

Without clear data analysis, content decisions are reactive rather than intentional. And reactive content rarely compounds. Instead of guessing what content would engage the ideal audience, we analyzed:

• Post-level engagement metrics
• High-performing content themes
• Format performance (static, video, carousel, etc.)
• Timing and consistency trends
• Comment quality and interaction depth

The goal was to identify patterns that revealed:

• What the audience valued
• What sparked conversation
• What encouraged repeat interaction

Live Trivia Keeps Drawing Clicks

Following the event, the replay could also be watched for credits toward licensure requirements. This time, for trivia, I went right to the tape. Using the trivia questions posed live by the expert moderator and answered live by the expert providers, I used the content collected for trivia 2.0. 

From the replay, I drafted storyboards for the question-and-answer format I was looking for. Seeking out the sound effects that audience members would know and love, we coupled audio with a countdown timer to give viewers time to form their answer. These would all come together collaboratively to give us more than a dozen pieces of content to be posted across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

Working with other creatives to bring the vision together, they added a superimposed talking head of the moderator asking the question and “locking in” answers. These touches were very complementary to the trivia aesthetic and format we carried over from the first iteration of trivia. 

Trivia questions garnered between 2% and 11% click-through rates, with questions related to Demodex blepharitis and glaucoma leading the pack. 

Who Wants to be an Eyecare Millionaire?

1. Certain Trivia Categories Consistently Outperformed Others

Not all topics created equal engagement. Topics related to Demodex blepharitis and glaucoma did well in click-through rate through both waves of the trivia promotion.

This revealed clear audience preferences that could guide future content planning.

2. Formats Chosen to Increase Impressions

Helping ourselves to work with the algorithm, and informed by our analytics, we chose strategic formats that encourage interaction. Our primary platform being LinkedIn, we chose carousels and video for the content as posts that invited participation—rather than passive consumption—and drove stronger performance.

3. Consistency in Branding Improved Recognition

We formatted the trivia questions into structured and recognizable branded content. This improved:

• Brand cohesion
• Audience expectations
• Repeat engagement behavior

The Results: Content that Resonates With Your Ideal Audience

With marketing strategy guided by data:

• Engagement became more predictable
• Audience interaction deepened
• Content decisions became faster and more confident

I love it when a plan comes together, and these results are evidence of just that. With this project, we moved from a strategic marketing position to executing short-term campaigns fit strategically into an editorial calendar. We achieved short-term metrics on a rolling basis by monitoring social media analytics to ensure long-term goal alignment.  

Why Data-driven Strategy Matters for Social Media

Many business owners treat social media as something they have to do or a virtual bulletin board. But when social content is tied to business growth, it requires strategic oversight.

Data-driven strategy helps you:

• Identify what your ideal audience actually responds to
• Eliminate content that drains time without impact
• Double down on themes that build community
• Align social activity with revenue goals

Without data, content decisions rely on assumptions. With data, they become intentional.

The Bigger Lesson: Strategy Creates Compounding Growth

The most important takeaway from this case study isn’t about trivia. It’s about structure.

When you combine:

• Clear audience understanding
• Performance analysis
• Repeatable content frameworks
• Consistent distribution

You move from reactive posting to system-based growth. And systems compound results.

Consider setting up an initial consultation to discuss with me how you can achieve your business goals this quarter. Reach out here. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does a data-driven social media strategy involve?

It requires social media managers and key stakeholders to analyze performance metrics, identify patterns in audience behavior, refine content themes, and build a repeatable content framework based on what drives engagement and in alignment with business goals. Essentially, it measures the execution of your strategy and provides a time and space to make needed adjustments. 

How often should social media performance be reviewed?

At a minimum, monthly reviews are recommended. For growth-focused brands, biweekly or campaign-based reviews allow for faster optimization. I find a key time to review what has done well is before you sit down to create new content. Getting in that same vibe helps to increase the resonance of your message and to ensure you’re consistent with best practices as indicated by your audience.

Is engagement or follower growth more important?

Engagement quality is typically more valuable than follower count. It measure active participation and signals audience alignment and increases visibility of your content over time.