I found it interesting that not only did Obama gain the
Democratic nomination, won the Presidential race by social media, but that he
was able to raise a record amount of money for his campaign. $5 and $10 donations quickly added up to a
multimillion-dollar arsenal. Over 92% of
his donations were in sums of less than $100.
Obama not only embraced every social media avenue out
there – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs, video games, etc. – he dominated it
over his competitors. By being active on
social media sites, his supporters felt included in everything that was going
on and he gained millions of followers.
President Barrack Obama took part in a live Q&A with
Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, Symantec Government Symposium, October 2, 2013
(photo: Pete Souza/White House).
Appointing a chief technology officer (CTO) position to
his cabinet was a very wise move. To
have someone to monitor and maintain a presidential presence on social media is
necessary to have a competitive edge in this new social media world we live in,
as evidenced by the high voter turnout in 2008 (65% - the highest since 1908).
Importantly, Obama reaffirmed that social media would be
part of the presidency and has been diligent to not abandon it. He has replaced FDR’s fireside radio chats
with chats on YouTube and other social media, thus changing the way the
presidential office communicates with the public and it has been very well
received. Interestingly, Obama is the
first president to keep his blackberry and have the first presidential laptop.
Source: Qualman, Erik “Socialnomics – How social media
transforms the way we live and do business” 2nd edition, John Wiley
& Sons, 2013.
I was also amazed the Obama was able to raise such a large amount of funds from such small donations. It just goes to show how effective social media is in an election. He was able to dominate with his influence from social media. Well, he has basically set the standard for future elections and what its going to take to win and win big.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Tammy - we definitely have a new way in our future.
DeleteThe Republican Party would attract a lot more young people in this flailing economy if it updated its social media strategy. I understand the brand is conservative, but when it comes down to campaigning you’ve got to be open to all the possibilities. Older Republicans are closed minded and they want to keep the same processes and behaviors from past campaigns, but they are doing themselves a great disservice by not utilizing social media. It’s time they give the GOP a facelift and attract younger members. Younger members who know their social media might help the factions that keep older members of the GOP from accomplishing anything these days. In comparing Dem and Rep websites you can clearly see how much the Rep Party is lagging behind. It’s embarrassing for some registered Republicans.
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