In the past politics and social media have gotten to know each other fairly well. However, I think its safe to say they are now becoming very good friends. President Obama showed the potential for success with the tying of politics and social media in the 2008 election with his millions of friends. The younger generations are getting most of their news from social media channels which includes political news and information. So how can politicians use the power of social media?
Personal connection plays a big role when deciding who to vote for. Voters can get to know a candidates thoughts on issues and have personal contact with them. Although most sites are run by professionals there is still a closer feeling to the candidate. As if voters do have a voice that can be heard. Using social media also allows for a discussion rather then candidates talking “at” voters…if used correctly. During elections it’s hard to reach audiences but through social media new audiences can be if candidates pay attention.
Recently, I was reading how candidates in California have been using social media to personally communicate with potential voters. By sensing the need for more personal connections California gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown has had a growth in the number of Facebook friends. This is mostly due to people recommending him to their friends and so on. Yet, his connections have grown.
I suppose in this day and age it makes sense that we turn to Twitter and Facebook to help determine our vote. Hopefully, before actually casting your vote you have researched by doing more than viewing a candidates profile or looking at their Twitter feed. Have you heard of TweetCongress? You can find polticians tweeting and then follow them. This relationship with social media will save candidates a ton of money by focusing less on paid ads. The relationship will continue to grow and change but it’s definitely one to pay attention to. Social media allows candidates to create a lot of impact with minimal effort.
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