Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Picture it: You’re a politician in a strategy meeting with your communications director. Imagine he tells you there is a way to be accessible to your constituents, win over activists and bloggers, and occasionally drive national news headlines, and it will only cost you a small time investment of 15-20 minutes per day. You’d say ‘sign me up!’ right? There is such a way to do this, yet far too many of our politicians have their feet wet in the kiddie pool but are afraid to dive into social media.
Politicians who use social media successfully:
- Are genuine – they write their own social media messages, and make it clear when someone else does instead
- Are engaged – they respond to incoming messages and they create their own content, but still…
- Direct followers to actions or others’ internet content that isn’t their website or press release
- Use different forms of media to express their point – including blogs, photos, video, hashtags, jokes, and maybe even a few types of media I haven’t heard of yet
A politician who is successful at social media will incorporate all four of these qualities, and perhaps others that aren’t listed.
Politicians have a hard enough time convincing the public of their honesty. Internet users pick up on obvious cues that staff members make when they’re ghost-writing social media messages. Rather than try to pretend that you can remain above the fray by tweeting a finely crafted blog post that your communications director wrote, why not tell us your thoughts on the latest nonsense coming out of the Obama administration? Why not join a hashtag game for a couple of minutes? Why not link to a story exposing media bias against your most important issues?
In order to drive conversations, it’s crucial to do more than just start them. After you share an idea or story, find out what people thought about it: follow up with them when they have questions about your ideas, and learn from their perspective.
People don’t want to hear that you’ve sponsored H.R. 1284327 and that you’ve signed up 20 co-sponsors. They want to know about the problem you’re trying to solve – have any conservative bloggers or authors written about it? Do you know any that might be interested? When linking to someone else’s content, be sure contact and credit them generously – people like to know when their work is being used, and will probably give the story even more of a push when they know you’re involved.
Using a variety of different media can keep your fans and followers engaged – you can spread enthusiasm much faster with one humorous hashtag or one funny picture than a million speeches. People want to share big ideas online, but they also crave human connections through moments of joy that they share with others.
When politicians treat social media like a one-way broadcasting medium, they do a disservice to the issues they care about, and miss a valuable opportunity to get instant feedback and connect with the people they need most.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
It amazed me when Cory Booker followed me on twitter, but he uses twitter to get the word out and his posts are pretty genuine
Jul '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Kevin Eder,
Politicians who use social media successfully:
Well, that rules out Mitt.
Ever since he uttered the words, "That's the house, I'm running for the Senate" in 1994 he's proven himself the Master of the Careful, Non-Committal, Political answer to the simple direct question.
A genuine answer regarding RomneyCare would go something like; "The Massachusetts Legislature was going to pass a Health Care Bill regardless of anything I would be doing, so I tried to engage free market principles to mitigate the kind of damage something like that would do. Maybe I should have let them do it their way, like Mike Lowery did in Washington, and allow it to be repealed by the voters as they did in Washington."
But Nooooo.
He has to play this 10th Ammendment spin game saying it was 'Right' for Massachusitts (which the folks who live there are beginning to disagree with) and he never intended it for the rest of the country.
Blah!
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Welcome to Ricochet, Kevin, and one politician comes immediately to mind as fitting your description: Mitch Daniels. He doesn't have time to post here on Ricochet as often as he'd like--or, natch, as often as we'd like--but every word he posts he writes himself.
Jul '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
I'd want to see every one of these ideas focus grouped before I'd sign off on them.
May '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
I don't share @CoryBooker 's politics, but I follow him and like him for all the reasons @Keder describes. It's really him, and he works the retail politics better than anyone. And what he understands is that he doesn't have to take controversial positions -- for him it's all about constituent service.
I also follow @JaredPolis because he sits on the House Education Committee but he comes across I think as unserious because he Tweets about Lady Gaga. Unfair perhaps but I can't help it.
And then there's @SenatorHarkin who uses Twitter to proudly herald every last tiny piece of pork he delivers to his home state -- even the five figure stuff. In his case it's clearly a staff member. I'm not sure Tom Harkin has used a keyboard since his college Underwood. But the strategic use of Twitter in his case speaks volumes about his view of the Senate and as much as it pains me, his strong understanding of retail politics.
Mar '11
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Peter,
I am glad Mitch finds some time to post here. But I think his wife hasn't yet given him permission to run (it's OK, Michelle probably ordered the One to run, and creased his pants - or sent em to the Dry Cleaners).
I am sure Mr. Obama is the Master of social media - or at least his disciples are. We have a lotta catching-up to do.
Edited on April 18, 2011 at 7:02amJul '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
The idea of practicing statecraft on the fly in 140-character bits makes me uneasy.
May '10
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Welcome to Ricochet, Kevin!
You wrote a lot of the things I've been preaching earnestly to friends for a while now. I'm glad the ideas are getting some much-needed sunlight. Well done!
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
David Williamson: Peter,
I am glad Mitch finds some time to post here. But I think his wife hasn't yet given him permission to run (it's OK, Michelle probably ordered the One to run, and creased his pants - or sent em to the Dry Cleaners).
I am sure Mr. Obama is the Master of social media - or at least his disciples are. We have a lotta catching-up to do. · Apr 17 at 9:53pm
Edited on Apr 17 at 10:02 pm
You know what? We conservatives have figured this thing out pretty darned well: http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/01/survey-republicans-now-matchin.php
Jan '11
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Apologies, Kevin, but none of this is new. 'Genuine, engaged, purposeful/action-oriented and varied/adaptable' have been the pillars of sales, PR and customer relations for centuries.
Re: Politics and Social Media: Separating the Men from the Boys
Agree wholeheartedly - what's puzzling to me is how few politicians seem willing or able to take these basic pillars and apply them to social media.