CT Paid Leave Authority outreach committee reviews year‑end digital metrics, podcast performance and Family Expo budget

Staff presented year‑end outreach metrics and a proposed Family Expo budget to the CT Paid Leave Authority Outreach & Engagement Committee and sought committee feedback before taking the proposal to the full board.

Jessica, outreach staff, reported web and advertising metrics for the 12 months ending November: 2,370,000 total website sessions (up 20% year‑over‑year), 11,000,000 page views (up 28%), a bounce rate down 12% and 861,000 total users (down 4%). Top site pages included “How CT Paid Leave Works,” “Paid Leave and FMLA,” and “How to Apply.” Organic search and direct traffic were leading sources; paid search supported additional reach.

On social media, staff reported growth across platforms: Facebook/Instagram page likes up 10%, followers up 11%, and paid campaigns with employer‑focused ads achieving click‑through rates in the 2.3%–4.5% range (benchmarks noted). LinkedIn followers rose 28%; TikTok generated more than 3.5 million impressions with younger age groups driving clicks; YouTube had about 910,000 views (up 23%) with the podcast playlist the largest share of views.

Nancy, who leads the program’s podcast, said the podcast has recorded 6,091 downloads since its February 2022 launch and 24 episodes to date; the show ranked in the top 50% of Buzzsprout listings for average first‑7‑day downloads. Top listener locations included Bristol, Bridgeport, West Hartford, Hartford and New York.

Nicole and Jessica presented a proposed Family Expo to be held in Hartford on a Saturday in October 2025, targeting 100–200 total attendees. The event concept includes a resource fair for parents, a children’s activity area with Halloween‑themed crafts and a variety of engagement features (photo booth, face painting, balloon twisting, “touch a truck” with Hartford fire and police participation and volunteer opportunities for local students). Organizers plan to recruit community partners and vendors (state agencies, nonprofits, health providers and small businesses) and to use Eventbrite and targeted paid advertising (search, display, social and some reallocated Hartford market buys) for promotion.

The proposed budget was presented with vendor quotes and a conservative contingency. Line items included: venue $1,500; decorations $550; face painting $550; balloon twisting $550; craft supplies and miscellaneous $2,000; advertising and marketing $10,000; contingency $1,515; total $16,665. Staff said they collected preliminary quotes for vendors and took the high range to provide cushion; they intentionally did not announce specific venues publicly while vetting options to avoid directing the public to a location that might change.

Committee members asked whether partners would provide on‑site services (for example, enrollment assistance) and suggested offering flu shots for adults given the October timing. Staff agreed to discuss on‑site services with potential partners and to include any confirmed services in promotion materials. Members also suggested inexpensive children’s activities such as coloring sheets and recommended confirming volunteer partnerships with CREC or Hartford Public Schools to staff activity stations.

The committee did not vote on the Family Expo budget; staff will revise as needed and present the proposal to the full board for approval.