political social media presentation

Social Media and Political Reality

RICHMOND CITY

REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE

June 22, 2011

Purpose

• Confirm, refine or explode your notions about Social Media (aka “new media”)

• Discuss Social Media strategies that work and don’t work in political campaigns

Overheard at recent GOP meeting

“I’ve got Social Media covered-- some college students are on Facebook and they’re tweeting for me.”

“I’ve got better things to do than tell people what I had for dinner.”

Consider:

1997: The Internet considered “just a fad”1999: The Internet considered essential for business2000: Dot com bubble burst; tarnished online

reputation2005: Websites considered essential for all

businesses;2005: YouTube.com established2006: Facebook considered just a fad for students2008: Obama engages and energizes base using SM2009: Twitter scoffed at by mainstream media2010: Social Media considered essential for all

businessesand political campaigns

2011: Political uprisings and downfalls directly related to SM

What is Social Media?

“It’s a lot of people saying stuff online.”

“It’s Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.”

“It’s a way to get millions of small donations.”

Social + Media ≠ Social Media

What is Social Media?

Engagement from the top of the political ladder or any level with grassroots supporters.

Public, personal discourse with people you know and with strangers, generally by common interests.

Networks that enable near real time dissemination of news and opinion (random, 3D call ladder).

Social Media . . . beyond the tube

•Offers a direct relationship with voters, contributors

•Offers voters a way to congregate and express

•Can and does result in action, even while engaged in other activities

#1 reason for Social Media phobia and

avoidanceIt can’t be controlled.

Application of universal principle

“Use it or LOSE it.”

Technology Adoption

© Pew Research Center

Evolution of online engagement

Email and search

Research & Info gathering

E-commerce

Basic online entertainment

Passive Social Media use

More advanced

online entertainment

Active

engagement

with Social Media

Basic

Advanced

© Pew Research Center

Centuries of lessons learned

•Technology adoption precedes understanding of its real power: disruption

•Failure to understand results in economic and political failure

•People who harness the power succeed, often brilliantly

Any size campaign reap rewards

Any size campaign can reap . . . disaster

Political Social Media Strategy

Monitoring and measuring data in Social Media used for these steps

Develop messages for key demographics

Develop & implement visibility strategy

Develop & implement engagement strategy

Start fundraising online

Candidate engages (authentic)

Take advantage of “lucky accidents.”

Key actions

#1 Make message(s) consistent with ALL ads and direct mail; integrate, integrate!

#2 Buy online advertising in multiple channels EARLY

#3 Develop “sub-messages” for groups

#4 Use networks, email, blogs, article comments

# 5Use “pull” not just “push” mentality

Key actions#6 Identify and engage on networks and blogs already attracting your constituency

#7 Use online news releases (2 - 10/week) and photos, photos, photos!

#8 Measure and monitor continuously; address negatives & info immediately

#9 Use SM and online search for opposition research

#10 Directly engage grassroots supporters

Monitor and measure size of your reach; understand which messages are effective and why. Don’t be redundant.

Organize a group (2-5) to meet online, in person

Select issues important to your contacts

Create daily blog posts and share, retweet- use networks

Help with fundraising online

Sponsor events - e.g. “tweetups”

For Supporters: How to engage for

impact?

Key “DON’Ts”

# 5 Be boring!

# 4 Delay action

#3 Ignore constituent online complaint

#2 Limit your channels (or thinking)

#1 Put Social Media in a silo

Social Media Sites/Platforms

•Social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and Classmates.com

•Micro-blogging sites, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, Dailybooth and 12 Seconds•Blogging sites, such as WordPress, Blogger and Blogspot

•Video-sharing sites, such as YouTube, Ustream and Vimeo

•Photo-sharing sites, such as Flickr, Instagram and Picassa

•Bookmarking sites, such as Digg, Reddit and StumbleUpon

Conservative Networks•FreedomWorks’ Freedom Connector: > 100k patriots organizing and taking action to restore freedom in America

•Patriot Action Network: > 88,000 members with state and often local chapters

•Free Republic: unknown size, potentially hundreds of thousands, with state chapters

•Facebook groups, Twitter hashtags, blogs such as Family Foundation, townhall.com, gawker.com

Source: Pew Research Center

Contact

© 2011 The Hardwicke Group LLC

1-888-364-7771Info@thehardwickegroup.com

/TheHardwickeGroup

/TheHardwickeGroup

/company/The-Hardwicke-Group

/TheHardwickeGroup

/HardwickeGroup