In this episode of Dose of Social, we dive deep with Madeline Walden, Digital Content & Community Manager at the Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach, CA). Madeline shares how a lifelong love of social media and local oceanic inspiration led her to build a powerhouse content strategy that drives engagement, education—and yes—millions of TikTok followers.

From her early days curating friends’ accounts to landing the aquarium’s first dedicated social role in 2016, Madeline has led the evolution of their digital presence. She walks us through how they transformed from sporadic posts to a full‑scale strategy, the virality of sea lions (yes, really) and how to balance family‑friendly fun with mission‑driven education.

Here’s what we’re diving into:

• The rise of TikTok for the aquarium—how they launched in 2020, partnered with TikTok’s “Learn on TikTok” initiative and grew to 2.8 M followers
• Defining target audiences across platforms—families, animal enthusiasts, scientists—and tailoring content accordingly
• The secret sauce behind viral content: charismatic animals (hello, sea lions!), connection, emotion, and momentum
• Building a content team: in‑house social, video production, “Pacific Pals” (puppeteers!), animal‑care collaboration
• How the aquarium sets KPIs—beyond pure analytics—to focus on community, awareness and real‑world impact
• Advice for mission‑driven organisations and small teams: use the platforms like a user first, speak in accessible language, infuse education with a touch of humor

Connect with Madeline Walden:
Website (Aquarium of the Pacific): https://www.aquariumofpacific.org
LinkedIn: Madeline Joy Walden
Instagram: @aquariumofthepacific
Podcast: Aquarium of the Podcific 

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