Carnegie & Western Washington University

The objective

Increasing Prospective Student Engagement

Western Washington University, through their TikTok marketing partner, Carnegie, aimed to drive follower growth on their organic TikTok account by utilizing trend-aligned, high-quality organic content from WWU’s TikTok account.

The solution

Driving student engagement and growth through paid and organic TikTok strategies

1. Creative drives performance: With 75% of TikTok success tied to creative, WWU’s use of trend-driven, student-led content proved essential in driving engagement and follower growth.

2. Paid growth fuels organic success: The campaign’s 6,192 paid follows (80% of total page followers) highlight how universities can accelerate audience expansion through strategic paid efforts.

3. Targeting enhances recruitment impact: Reaching 13-17-year-olds in key regions led to 2.3M+ impressions at a $2.45 cost per follow, demonstrating TikTok’s power in connecting institutions with future students.

The results

Amplifying organic success

Western Washington University’s Community Interaction campaign successfully grew its organic audience by combining paid media with high-quality organic content. By amplifying engaging, student-centric videos through Spark Ads, the campaign generated 2.3M+ impressions and 6,192 paid follows, accounting for 80% of WWU’s total followers.

With a competitive $2.45 cost per follow, this campaign highlights how universities can strategically use TikTok to boost awareness, foster community engagement, and reach prospective students where they spend their time.