To honor and recruit the next generation of veteran entrepreneurs, we designed a series of visually captivating magazine cover-style graphics showcasing previous incredible participants in our Veteran Entrepreneur Program. These graphics, tailored for social media, aimed to inspire potential applicants while building awareness of The PenFed Foundation’s mission to empower veteran business leaders. With a goal to maximize reach, engagement, and program interest, we set out to create a post that fused bold design, authentic storytelling, and strategic targeting. Through this effort, we sought not only to embody the entrepreneurial spirit of veterans but also to drive measurable impact by increasing program applications and social engagement metrics.
The foundation of this project was the idea that every veteran entrepreneur has a unique and powerful story worth telling. To inspire others, we took a highly personalized approach, showcasing real program participants as the "cover stars" of our post. Each graphic was meticulously designed to emulate the aesthetic of premium magazine covers, with bold typography and dynamic visuals that captured the essence of their entrepreneurial journeys. The goal was not just to catch the eye but to showcase these trailblazing veterans and show the audience they too can join this impressive group of entrepreneurs.
Our strategy revolved around three pillars: authenticity, platform optimization, and strategic timing. We chose social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to amplify reach and engagement, targeting a demographic mix of veterans, military families, and business enthusiasts. We launched the campaign during a period when applications for the next cohort of the Veteran Entrepreneur Program were open, ensuring a direct call-to-action was embedded in every post. By pairing these graphics with thoughtful captions and links to the application page, we seamlessly bridged inspiration with opportunity.
We created layouts that were visually appealing, cohesive, and resonated with the spirit of veteran entrepreneurship. Each design featured a color palette similar to our Foundation’s colors, layered text and imagery, with a clear focus on the featured veteran’s face. The magazine cover is a visual representation of what our Veteran Entrepreneur Program can do for veteran business-owners. We strive to help these businesses succeed and showcase the impressive talent and achievements of these veterans.
The veteran’s magazine covers preceded the final graphic, which had a question mark in place of the veteran. This shows our audience we want them to be part of this elite group. They too can be a part of our incredible class of veterans.
Lastly, the posts were strategically boosted with targeted ads, focusing on veteran and entrepreneurial communities. Additionally, we encouraged alumni and supporters to share the posts, extending the campaign’s organic reach.
Navigating platform algorithms and ensuring optimal visibility was one challenge we faced. This required continuous research of post timing and copy. Through these efforts, we not only met but exceeded our benchmarks for audience engagement.
The graphics campaign achieved remarkable results, exceeding our goals.
* The post garnered 90,802 views across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, capturing widespread attention and amplifying program visibility.
* On LinkedIn, a critical platform for entrepreneurs, the post achieved an impressive engagement rate of 23%, outperforming our average rate of 16%.
* Overall content interactions on Facebook increased by 25% during the month the post was made, demonstrating a boost in audience connection and participation.
More importantly, the campaign succeeded in inspiring action. We saw a surge in inquiries and applications for the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, attributing this to the campaign’s resonance and reach. By creatively celebrating the achievements of our veteran entrepreneurs, we not only met our recruitment objectives but also reinforced The PenFed Foundation’s mission to uplift veterans through innovation and opportunity.
This project stands out as a testament to the power of thoughtful design and storytelling, proving that impactful graphics can drive meaningful change.
