Your Community Is Talking Online. Are You Listening?
This week, thousands of local government leaders from across New Jersey are gathering in Atlantic City for the NJLM Annual Conference. It’s one of those events that fills the whole boardwalk with ideas — mayors, municipal staff, clerks, planners, communicators — all there to talk about what’s next for our communities.
I couldn’t make it this year (schedules happen), but something of mine did.
My article, “Likes, Shares, and Local Pride,” is featured in the October issue of NJ Municipalities Magazine (pages 16–18), and honestly, I’m still really grateful for the opportunity. It’s not every day you get to put your work in front of the people who are literally shaping the towns we live in.
And the timing couldn’t be better, because the article breaks down one of my favorite case studies: the digital transformation of Ridgefield Park.
Beyond Follower Counts: What Really Moved the Needle
A lot of communities still look at social media as a numbers game — more followers, more likes, more posts.
But Ridgefield Park showed us something different.
When we moved their communication strategy beyond “posting because we should” and into intentional, people-centered storytelling, the results were… honestly, pretty incredible.
Residents started discovering programs they’d been searching for but didn’t know existed.
Teenagers — yes, actual local teens — began showing up to volunteer because they finally felt connected to what was happening around them.
Small businesses saw new customers walk through their doors because neighbors were, for the first time, actually aware of them.
That’s the power of meaningful digital communication.
Not noise, not bulletin board announcements — but storytelling that turns online engagement into real-world action.
And the outcome?
Nearly 5,000 followers across platforms
Residents who feel seen, heard, and included
Stronger civic pride
A community people actively want to be part of and invest in
That’s not “content.”
That’s community building.
Your Residents Are Already Talking. Are You Responding?
Here’s something I say often — because it’s true:
Your residents are already talking about your community online.
The question isn’t whether you need social media.
It’s whether you want to be part of that conversation and help shape it.
People don’t wait for newsletters anymore to decide how they feel about their hometown.
They react to what they see in real time.
They share their experiences instantly.
They organize, celebrate, and sometimes even criticize — all publicly.
Local governments who lean into this?
They earn trust. They build stronger relationships. They get ahead of misinformation instead of chasing it. And they create communities where people feel connected, not left out.
This isn’t a trend. It’s modern governance.
If You’re at the NJLM Conference This Week…
And if by chance you’re reading this from Atlantic City with a conference badge around your neck:
If that October magazine issue is sitting on your desk or in your conference bag, grab it when you have a minute.
Read the article.
Use the strategies.
Put them to work in your own community.
And honestly?
Read all your issues. The team behind NJ Municipalities Magazine puts out resources designed to help you and your community succeed. It’s worth your time — truly.
READ THE ARTICLE HERE
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
If insights like these make your brain light up a little (you know the feeling), you’ll love my monthly newsletter.
It’s packed with real examples, simple strategies, and ideas you can actually use.
👉 Sign up at mirthandjoy.com
And if you’re ready — really ready — to transform how your community communicates… let’s talk.
Your community has stories worth telling.
Strategic communication is how you bridge the gap between where you are and the community you’re working so hard to build.
Thanks for being here — and thanks for the work you do every single day for your residents.
— Michelle
Mirth & Joy
