Content Creation:
How Surfrider Jersey Shore Mobilized a Statewide Movement through Organic Social Media

Industry: Non-Profit, Environmental Advocacy
Channel: Social (Instagram)
June 2019

The Challenge: To pass historic environmental legislation in New Jersey (Bills S.2776 and A.4330), the Surfrider Foundation: Jersey Shore chapter needed more than just "awareness." We needed to provide Governor Phil Murphy and NJ legislators with undeniable, visual proof of the plastic crisis. The challenge was to transform a regional social media following into a statewide activist network that would document pollution in real-time and demand legislative action.

Winning Approach: As Social Media Chair, I moved beyond standard non-profit messaging to execute a high-engagement "Social-First Activism" strategy. I launched a call to action (CTA) requesting users to post and tag photos of plastic pollution in their local rivers, lakes, and beaches, which I then integrated into a multi-layered execution plan:

• Partnership and Direct Outreach: I conducted a manual direct-messaging campaign to mission-aligned accounts and local small businesses. This peer-to-peer strategy built immediate brand credibility and scaled our organic reach far beyond our existing follower base.

• High-Touch Community Management: I personally managed the dialogue, responding to both positive and critical comments. This active engagement boosted algorithmic performance and funneled users toward our website's "Action Alert" to contact legislators directly.

• Multi-Format Content Iteration: To sustain a weeks-long campaign without audience fatigue, I recycled the core message through various creative formats, including dynamic copy, carousel photos, and video, ensuring the mission remained a top priority in user feeds.

• UGC Feedback Loop: We leveraged over 500 user-submitted photos as repurposed content. By tagging original creators, we fostered a community-owned movement that incentivized further participation and documentation.