National Guard Social Media Visit Site »

In early 2009, the Army National Guard's recruiting and retention team agreed the time had come to give social media a more prominent role in their overall marketing mix. We created a vibrant, meaningful and enduring online community, headlined by over 1,000,000 followers on Facebook and the #1 YouTube channel among military branches. Our solution also includes a fast-growing Twitter network, along with an education-focused MySpace presence.

We combine content gathered by our team of journalists with innovative interactive applications and specialized community management from actual Soldiers. The results have been nothing short of stunning. Our Today's Hero app single-handedly increased recruiter contacts more than 500%. A practice version of the key military entrance test has already helped tens of thousands of people prepare to succeed on the exam.

The audience we've cultivated for the Guard's Facebook page is among the most active on Facebook, with 50%–70% actively engaged every month.

We recently launched a program to teach the 54 States and Territories the ins and outs of social media. This includes one-on-one training, group sessions, a weekly newsletter and on-call support from our strategists. Nearly every state has taken advantage of the program, and the combined fan base is closing in on 50,000—and growing every day.