Crossbar Case Study: How Evolve My Media Drove Triple-Digit Social Growth (and Real Click-Throughs) for a Community Impact BrandWho Crossbar Are and Why This Matters

Crossbar Group inspires and develops children, young adults and vulnerable people through physical activity, education, employment and community placements across Shropshire and the wider region. Their mission spans four organisations (Coaching, Alternative Provision, Foundation, and Education & Training) with a focus on whole-child development and positive life outcomes. The Crossbar Group

For a mission-led organisation like Crossbar, social isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s how families, schools and partners discover programmes, trust the brand and take action whether that’s booking holiday clubs, exploring apprenticeships or supporting community initiatives. In a UK where 79% of the population uses social media and internet penetration sits at 97.8%, the opportunity for awareness and impact is huge. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights

Why Crossbar Chose Evolve My Media

Evolve My Media is a social-first marketing agency helping brands grow with content, paid social and creator-led campaigns. The team builds data-driven ads, scroll-stopping content and conversion-focused creative, all produced in-house (including product and video shoots) from their Shropshire base. Evolve My Media

Goal: Use strategic content and paid social to massively increase reach, engagement, followers and link clicks - turning visibility into real-world actions (site visits, enquiries, bookings, placements).

Primary platforms: Instagram & Facebook

Core formats & levers:

• Short-form video (Reels) and video-first posts
  
  
• Community-led content & education stories
  
  
• Conversion cues (link placements, CTAs)
  
  
• Paid amplification to extend high-performing posts
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The Results (July–September)

Instagram

• Total views: 304.3k (+175%)
  
  
• Content interactions: 2.1k (+118%)
  
  
• Followers: +107 (+25.9%)
  
  
• Link clicks: 31 (+121%)
  
  
• Typical posts hitting 3.19k views; videos ~3.01k views
  

Facebook

• Total views: 357.5k (+152%)
  
  
• Content interactions: 3.0k (+195%)
  
  
• Followers: +165 (+66.7%)
  
  
• Link clicks: 540 (+309%)
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What’s important: The lift in link clicks shows the audience didn’t just watch - they acted (to learn more, book, donate or apply).

Why These Numbers Matter (Benchmarks & Context)

• Organic reach is tough: Facebook’s organic reach for brands commonly hovers around ~1–2% on average. Beating this requires strong creative and/or smart amplification. Socialinsider+1
  
  
• Reels outperform: On Instagram, Reels earn more than 2× the engagement of standard video posts for many industries- making short-form a smart default for awareness and engagement. get.rivaliq.com+1
  
  
• The UK is deeply social: The UK counts 54.8m social media user identities (79% of the population) - so social is where your next learner, hire, volunteer or donor is spending time. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights
  
  

Crossbar’s triple-digit growth on both platforms significantly outpaces typical organic trends, especially the +309% surge in Facebook link clicks, which is where impact is felt (site visits, enquiries, bookings). Socialinsider

Strategy — What We Actually Did

1) Story-First Creative Built for Real People

• Short, human-centred videos (staff, coaches, learners) gave an authentic view of Crossbar’s programmes.
  
  
• Hook-led Reels (a bold first line or visual) earned higher retention and more shares - crucial signals for distribution.
  
  
• Content pillars: Holiday clubs & coaching, apprenticeships & pathways, community & success stories, behind-the-scenes.
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Why this works: In saturated feeds, human stories outperform sterile brand posts. Reels format also taps platform preferences where short-form video is algorithmically rewarded. get.rivaliq.com

2) Conversion Cues Without Killing the Vibe

• Clear CTAs (“Book a place”, “Find your pathway”, “Learn more”) appeared in captions and end-cards.
  
  
• Links were placed where discovery turns into action (bio, Link in Bio tools, Facebook buttons).
  
  
• Campaign sequencing moved from awareness → consideration → action, priming audiences before asking for the click.
  
  

Why this matters: In the UK, more consumers expect to buy or act directly via social; removing friction materially improves outcomes. The Times

3) Paid Social That Amplified What Worked

• We boosted top-performing Reels/posts to lookalikes and interest-based audiences (parents, education, local communities).
  
  
• Budget was tiered: more spend behind creatives with proven hook/retention.
  
  
• Frequency and creative rotation kept fatigue low and performance consistent.
  
  

Why this matters: With average organic reach trending low, paid amplification is often the difference between a good post and a great campaign. Socialinsider

4) Cadence, Not Chaos

• A predictable posting rhythm built audience habit and platform momentum.
  
  
• Always-on content with seasonal bursts (e.g., holiday club peaks, term starts).
  
  
• Weekly performance reviews refined hooks, thumbnails and captions using live data.
  
  

Results Breakdown (What Moved the Needle)

Reach & Views

• IG views +175% (304.3k total) and FB views +152% (357.5k total) meant more families and educators saw Crossbar’s work.
  
  
• Reels drove the lion’s share on Instagram; Facebook video reach benefitted from native uploads and shareable community clips. get.rivaliq.com
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Engagement & Community

• IG interactions +118% and FB interactions +195% are strong indicators of content-market fit.
  
  
• Comments and shares around apprenticeship outcomes and holiday clubs told us exactly which stories convert curiosity into trust.
  
  

Follower Growth

• +25.9% on IG and +66.7% on FB over three months compounds future reach (more “free” impressions from each post).
  
  
• Quality over quantity: steady growth from local, relevant audiences (parents, schools, community groups).
  
  

Link Clicks (The Money Metric)

• +121% on IG and a huge +309% on FB suggest the audience was primed to act - visiting pages to book, apply, or learn more.
  
  

Bottom line: Crossbar didn’t just go “viral” - they mobilised their community.

What We Learned (So You Don’t Have To)

• Real stories outperform polished ads for education and community brands. Audiences want to see the people they’ll meet and the outcomes they’ll get.
  
  
• Video thumbnails and the first 2–3 seconds make or break distribution. We iterated hooks and covers weekly based on retention.
  
  
• Always-on + burst strategy wins. Keep consistent, then ramp around key dates (enrolment windows, school terms, holidays).
  
  
• Measure the right things: Don’t chase views alone - track link clicks, profile actions, enquiries.
  
  

Crossbar’s Mission, Amplified by Social

By surfacing the human impact (from primary school PE to post-16 pathways), Crossbar’s content now travels further and lands stronger. That means more children active, more learners supported, and more positive outcomes across Shropshire - aligned with the Group’s mission since 2008. The Crossbar Group

What This Means for Other UK Organisations

If you’re a UK education provider, charity or community brand, the playbook holds:

• Go short-form first (Reels/video): it’s where attention lives and algorithms reward. get.rivaliq.com
  
  
• Layer paid on top of proven creative to beat reach benchmarks and reach the right parents/partners. Socialinsider
  
  
• Design for action: social commerce behaviours are normalising; users expect to click, book and buy in-journey. The Times
  
  
• UK scale is real: with 54.8m social identities here, your audience is already on platform - you just need the right content and cadence. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights
  
  

Snapshot: Results at a Glance

• 304.3k Instagram views (+175%)
  
  
• 357.5k Facebook views (+152%)
  
  
• 2.1k Instagram interactions (+118%)
  
  
• 3.0k Facebook interactions (+195%)
  
  
• IG link clicks 31 (+121%)
  
  
• FB link clicks 540 (+309%)
  
  
• Followers up: IG +25.9%, FB +66.7%
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions (for decision-makers)

How fast can we see results?
Crossbar saw meaningful lifts within weeks and sustained gains over three months. Speed depends on your existing assets, audience size and how fast we can test creatives.

Do we need a big budget?
Not necessarily. The trick is creative + precision amplification. Even modest budgets beat low organic reach when spent behind proven posts. (Average Facebook organic reach is ~1–2%.) Socialinsider+1

Is Reels really worth prioritising?
Yes. Reels often drive 2× the engagement of standard video, and they’re favoured in distribution. get.rivaliq.com+1

We’re a charity/education provider - does social commerce apply to us?
The principle is the same: reduce friction between discovery and action (book, apply, donate, enquire). UK consumers increasingly expect to complete actions inside or directly from social. The Times

How Evolve My Media Can Help You Win

We’re a UK social media agency built for outcomes: content that grabs attention, ads that drive growth, and creative built to convert - from strategy and shoots to paid optimisation and weekly iteration. If you want more reach, deeper engagement and measurable actions (clicks, enquiries, bookings), let’s talk today, book a call.