Author: Division of Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health

Last Updated: January 2020

Over the past decade, the number of cases of tickborne diseases reported to the Vermont Department of Health has increased significantly. The Vermont Department of Health Infectious Disease Program created a comprehensive education campaign called Be Tick Smart, which includes print materials, detailed online information, digital advertising, and public radio underwriting. Campaign goals are to raise awareness, improve knowledge, and motivate prevention behavior. Average time on spent on the web page is one measure of the "Be Tick Smart" campaign success.

Google Analytics is used to monitor activity of people (visitors) who are visiting the Be Tick Smart web page where there is information on how to prevent tick bites. The average amount of time visitors spend on a page is one way to gauge if visitors are reading the content on the page, and it provides insight into how users are interacting with pages. Longer time spent on the web page means that the visitor has found what they're looking for and then spends time reading the information.

Tickborne diseases are seasonal, so webpage visits increase or decrease dependng on the time of year. An increase in time spent on the web page corresponds to the start of the Be Tick Smart campaign in May (second quarter) and continues into the third quarter until tick activity decreases in Vermont.

• HMC Advertising – the media buyer for the State of Vermont
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
• Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

Targeted digital advertising has proved to be an effective way of driving users to a specific web page for more information about a topic of interest. Advertisements during the "Be Tick Smart" campaign target specific audiences on Google and Facebook. When users click on the ads, they are linked to the Vermont Department of Health "Be Tick Smart" web page. Visitors will only stay on a page when they find the information they need – otherwise they will leave the page within a few seconds. Health communications that improve an individual’s knowledge about the risk for tickborne diseases, and provide easy to follow steps and prevention messages help motivate people to adopt healthier behaviors.

Prevention of tickborne diseases is challenging on many levels. Ticks are tiny and hard to detect on certain places of the body. The CDC encourages individuals to adopt specific behaviors like using EPA-registered tick repellents, inspecting skin daily for ticks, removing attached ticks promptly, and watching for signs of tickborne illness. The Health Department website is one place where people can get this information.