New Jersey's Twitter account is a viral hit
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Screenshot via @NJGov
The official Twitter account for the state of New Jersey has been blowing up the internet over the past few weeks.
What's happening: The account tweets important government information alongside a witty mix of New Jersey inside jokes about good pizza and central New Jersey.
Why it matters: It's a good example of ways that public service accounts can be relevant and keep citizens informed.
- The TSA has been doing this for a long time on Instagram, posting photos about the most ridiculous items they encounter at checkpoints to explain whether they break the rules of travel.
Details: The account is run by two New Jersey women, Pearl Gabel and Megan Coyne, who serve on N.J. Governor Phil Murphy's digital team.
- Coyne says the response has been overwhelmingly positive and that "the engagement on our policy-focused stuff is improving consistently, which goes to show that the message is penetrating."
- "It is about more than memes," says Gabel. "It is about getting people to pay attention for the fun stuff so that they can get information about things like education, health care, or environmental policy that they otherwise might have missed.
- But on the fun side, "we have learned that people take a lot of pride in having good pizza and bagels," Coyne said.
Between the lines: "We don’t have time for haters," Gabel said.
What's next: The account has already gotten into a fight with the official account of Delaware. Expect more beef.
Go deeper: 10% of Twitter users produce almost all of U.S. political tweets
