July 31, 2015: With advances in technology came the development of social media, which gave us a new way for people around the world to connect and share opinions. But what exactly is it that makes social media so important? From a marketing perspective, it isn’t simply the low cost and convenience of social media that’s so compelling: it’s the power this channel gives individuals and companies to generate more awareness — and more business — for themselves.
The same holds for politicians. While political campaigns continue to rely on traditional mass media channels, they’re increasingly conducted on Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms. Why? Because that’s where the voters are.
Social media offers political campaigners the following:
Reach: Social media information can be accessed from just about anywhere in the world. Politicians competing on the national stage not only have the ability to get in touch with voters located anywhere in the country, but these voters can also choose to follow them on Twitter and Facebook, allowing them to show their support and voice their opinions.
Low cost: One of the most attractive aspects of social media is that no payment is required for commercial speech. No subscription fee must be paid in order to post something, and the only real investment one has to make in order to use it effectively is time. If that time is well-spent, the potential for a reward increases dramatically. Remember, all it takes is for one post on Twitter to go viral, and the impact can be greater than that provided by an expensive television or print advertising campaign.
Donation potential: Politicians, especially those running for President, can raise hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars from direct online donations. If you are running an online campaign, one of the things you are going to want people to do is donate. If you are wondering how you can get them to do this, the answer is simple. Add a donate button to whatever network you are using.
Trust-building potential: When politicians run advertising campaigns, their hope is that such campaigns build a real connection with voters. Through the use of social media, they can repeatedly post or tweet, and if these tweets are genuine and appear to come from the heart, they will engender increased trust, affinity, and willingness to “convert” in the voting booth.
A double-edged sword
Social media — in politics and business alike — is a double-edged sword. “Shooting from the hip” — whether in a televised debate sound bite or in a tweet — can have unintended consequences. Gaffes can go viral as easily as intelligent thoughts on policy. One always has to balance the need to comment freely on fast-breaking events against the risk that a careless post will be made to go viral by one’s opponents.
An active social media presence works to influence consumer (voter) behavior throughout the conversion chain, from initial Interest through Awareness, Desire, and Action. Such a presence takes time, effort, and investment to establish, and the results aren’t always successful. But with preparation, an able-minded social media team, and a well thought out plan, you will find that it’s possible to use social media to drive positive behavior that can tip the scales in your favor.
The best political campaigners know that social media drives results. For example, President Obama’s most recent social media electoral campaign proved to be an astonishing success. Throughout his 21-month campaign in 2008, President Obama was able to reach 74% of all Internet users and raised a total of $500,000, making his online campaign one of the most successful ever.
Here, by the way, is how the 2016 Presidential candidates are stacking up on Twitter right now in terms of followers. While Twitter popularity doesn’t translate directly into electability, and November 2016 is many months away, social strength is becoming a real factor in the outcome of political elections, and that’s a trend that’s only going to get stronger as online access becomes ubiquitous among the American electorate:
- 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Using QR Codes for Marketing - September 20, 2023
- Kevin Lee on How AI Changes the SEO Landscape - August 31, 2023
- The Power of Compound Marketing: Kevin Lee Presents @ 1MediaWorld 2023 Global Conference - March 7, 2023