As the summer of 2024 came to a close and hurricane season began to peak, Petty Officer 3rd Class Vincent Moreno had an idea. The Public Affairs Detachment (PADET) Jacksonville specialist had been racking his brain about how to educate the public about boating safety during hurricane season.
Moreno thought back on the hurricane-themed content he’d seen on social media. He realized that he hadn’t seen much content on weather and boating safety tips. He needed the right partner, he thought, to get key information to the public in an engaging way. Enter the National Weather Service (NWS).
The result of Moreno’s brainchild was a monthlong team-up that helped inform the boating community—and the public—about hurricane safety. His content reached over 162,000 accounts and generated over 2,300 engagements, outperforming his team’s previous content. It was so successful, Moreno explained, that he’s partnering with the Lifeguard Ocean Rescue Service in Jacksonville Beach to raise awareness of rip currents and beach safety.
MyCG spoke with Moreno to get his four inside tips on how to work with partner agencies to create compelling social media content.
Assess the environment and identify the gaps
According to Moreno, it all starts with an examination of the information environment. He thought of all the hurricanes and strong winds in his area of responsibility (AOR). Moreno realized that he and his shipmates often reshared content from the NWS before and during hurricanes. “If we both work together,” he thought, “we can tag team this and create better content that will catch [the public’s] attention.”
Naturally, his first thought turned to the NWS given their expertise.
Develop your vision
After identifying the opportunity to collaborate and sketching out a broad campaign concept, the key is “going in knowing what you want,” Moreno told MyCG. It’s important to “make sure [prospective partners] know you want to help them out,” and to ensure that they can review the content before release. The key, Moreno explained, is to offer partners a vision and invite them to provide input and expertise. Open exchanges of ideas lead to the strongest final products.
That’s what Moreno found in his initial conversations with the NWS Jacksonville office. Working with their meteorologists helped combine the best of each agency’s ideas into an effective campaign.
Partnerships open doors
Openness and diplomacy are critical because when it comes to social media, partnerships can be invaluable amplifiers. Public affairs counterparts at other federal, state, and local agencies know this, too. “Our training and expertise combined with their knowledge was a multiplier,” Moreno reflected on his experience working with NWS.
Content partnerships open doors in yet other ways, he explained. They force you to think creatively and approach longstanding problems from new angles. In doing so, they spark new ideas. “It’s really opened my mind,” he said, “to further expanding our reach to other agencies and collaboration opportunities.” Because other agencies may have more resources or certain specialties, it’s always good to get access to them.
Show your appreciation with a cross-post
Before posting new content, it’s important to remember one of the key benefits of collaborations—tapping into new audiences. So, according to Moreno, “you should ensure when you post that both sides are aware so they can reshare” on their accounts.
You may view the campaign content below:
-USCG