Social Media and Politics: 5 Tips to Use
According to the most recent data from Pew Research, 70% of American adults say they have at least one social media profile.
Social media is now a gathering spot for people to get their news, discuss current events, and build relationships with their favorite political candidates. So how do social media and politics work together to create a stronger, more exciting campaign?
Keep reading to find out!
1. Know Where to Direct Your Energy
There’s no shortage of social media sites these days, and more seem to pop up all the time. It can be tough to keep up, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy.
To keep from wasting time and resources, a political campaign should always conduct an audit on their target audience to find out which sites they visit the most and what types of content they interact with.
Make no mistake, the right approach can make a difference. Experts believe that Barack Obama’s presence on social media helped him secure the nomination and subsequent presidency in 2008, as it helped him secure a younger audience.
2. Interact With Your Followers
Having a centralized location to collect information on interested individuals is great. But that’s not enough to help a campaign grow a dedicated fanbase.
Candidates and their teams are encouraged to take a more active approach with a social media political campaign, interacting with followers and sparking genuine conversations.
One of the biggest benefits of social media is the elimination of the barrier between a candidate and their constituents. People want to feel connected to politicians, after all, and social media is a great tool for humanizing a campaign.
3. Encourage Debate, Report Hate
If you’ve been on a social site for more than five minutes, there’s no doubt you’ve witnessed (or participated in) a heated conversation.
Confrontations, insults, and clashing ideals are all parts of the social media experience, for better or worse.
However, there’s a difference between debate and hate speech. Don’t engage with trolls or hateful commenters and instead report them or remove them from the page if you have moderation power.
4. All Profiles Should Lead to Your Website
Anyone looking for info on how to use social media to advertise your campaign should know this: You’ll still need a great website.
Social media can be a fun way to interact with people, but remember that you’re trying to secure their votes. That means keeping them informed on what you’re up to through political campaign websites.
Post links to your blog, discuss the features of your site and add a donation link and direct site link in your biography.
5. Keep Your Content Varied
Content is king when it comes to keeping social media followers engaged. Come up with a content strategy that’s interesting, varied, and leads to action.
Play to each platform’s strengths. Facebook Watch, for example, is a major source of online video content for millions of people, while Twitter is better for short promos and direct interactions.
Understanding the Link Between Social Media and Politics
Whether you love it or hate it, social media and politics are intertwined now. Keep the above information in mind if you’re thinking about running for office!
And if you’d like to learn more about politics, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!