Social Media's Role In Local Politics

The use of social media in the national and statewide political process has proven to be an important tool in both the election process and continued constituent communication. There have been more than enough articles published regarding the increased use of social media by our national elected officials and their surrogates.  They do a great job getting their messages out and engaging with their constituents. Maybe too great of a job. Their social media success brings to light how social media understanding is lacking on the local level. As we become more social media savvy; local candidates and elected officials do not seem to have fully embraced the true essence of social networking.  

The time honored traditions of press conferences, news releases, meet and greets and knocking on doors will always have their place in distributing the message. However, they should not be considered the only options.

Social media is more than just setting up a Facebook page or a Twitter account in order to post status updates and press releases.  Theoretically, that is what a website has been traditionally used for; and even that has been evolving over the last few years.  Social media should be looked at as a means to initiate a two-way dialogue with followers.  To engage them on the issues.  That is not to say that our news feeds are void of any updates on the local level. It is sporadic at best.  In terms of engagement with constituency and followers; however, it is at times nonexistent.   

We have social media contacts from many regions of the country, if not the world. A vast majority of us regularly share our views on local, national and global political topics with solely local connections. At one point, I was involved in four separate discussions on the hot button topic of the day. Each of those discussions involved four separate groups of people.  Though hard to keep track of the progress of each discussion, it was an exhilarating and intellectually stimulating experience. Unless our local politicians were mutual connections with those involved in the discussion, they remained clueless regarding the sentiments expressed.  In a perfect virtual world, it would have been nice to have these lively and insightful conversations on one central location where the voices of the participants would have been heard and responded by our local politicians and/or their surrogates. That is the true essence of social media.  

It is not as if we do not try to start conversations with them.  There are comments made on their Facebook and Twitter posts.  Very rarely are there responses or even a "Like".  Social media engagement needs to be viewed with the same importance as one would view constituent engagement at a fundraising event or while knocking on doors. First rule of thumb for every politician is to get to know your political base and constituency by engaging in a dialogue with them. Constituents want reassurance, even online, that their voices and opinions are being heard by those that represent them or hope to represent them.

Don't Be So Quick to Blame the Internet

This post is clearly a personal observation and will offer no sound advice or tips regarding social media. If that is the only reason you clicked on the link, I will not be offended in the least if you stop reading this now.

Now for those of you who stayed; for whatever reason, I have a bone to pick. Why are we so quick to blame the Internet for every half truth, offensive post and those hordes of cats that we are so quick to share across every social media platform?  Have we, as a society, forgotten how to be freethinkers and not ones to be so gullible that we believe each and every post on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, etc?

Fact: The Internet is merely the mechanism used to transmit ideas, images and the like to your computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. It is not a person. It does not have rational thought, a conscious or even a sense of humor.

Fact:  The ideas and images we encounter through Internet transmission are those conceived by actual human beings.  Humans have been known to err in judgement and, at times, lack common decency. Does that make us the worst possible living creature on the planet? No, it is what makes us human. (By the way, the worst possible living creature in my book would be that spider hiding out in corner of the ceiling waiting to attack; but I digress.)

Fact: Social media marketers know the tricks of the trade. They know what words and images to use that will get a post shared and commented on the most. They know which audience they are targeting and, conversely, they know how to get a rise out of the opposing audience. It is their job and many of them do it quite well.  

Fact: All of us who use the Internet for one reason or the other are social media marketers in our own right. We know which of our posts will generate the most shares and comments. At times, we refrain from posting something out of fear of being ridiculed.  (That reminds me, maybe I should remove the line about the spider before I find pictures of spiders posted to my timeline.)

Fact: Many of us will share something because we agree with its message without first researching its validity. Granted, who really has time for a lot of research; especially when most of our interaction on the Internet is done via smartphone. Bandwidth is pricey; and, seriously, who has time to wait a minute for a website to load when there is so many more interesting things to scroll through on our news feeds?

If you made it this far, thank you.  I do have a request for you, though. The next time someone starts arguing with you and claims that something must be true because they saw it on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc.; please knock them down, take a picture and post it on, where else, the Internet. (Just kidding. Or am I?  You did read this on the Internet.)

Delegating Social Media Tasks Should Not Create A Message Disconnect

Being able to delegate responsibilities effectively within an organization is a sign of true leadership.  Note that I added the word "effectively" since that is the necessary component to ensure not only leadership success but the overall success of any business or organization.  Effective delegation carries over to social media, as well.

I recently came across an organization that divvied up its social media campaign responsibilities among several different individuals.  There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach.  Some people have a stronger grasp of the ins and outs of Facebook marketing while others have fully embraced Twitter over all other social media platforms.  Recognizing and making the best use of an employee's strengths has always been considered an effective management skill. However, what happens when there is a disconnect between the messages being broadcast over these various social media sites?

In the case of the organization I mention, the posts between several platforms are disjointed and in no way reflect a cohesive message.  It quickly became apparent that the tasks were delegated to individuals without first bringing them together as a team and setting down guidelines for the organization's social media campaign.  This ineffective delegation only serves to damage the online reputation of the organization which will ultimately carryover to the real world.

As a business or organization leader, you owe it to yourself and to those whom you have assigned the various tasks, to follow up and make sure that everyone is on the same page.  You need to check in on the various platforms to review what is being posted by your employees and others.  Make sure that their posts are in sync. Also, make sure comments left by your followers are being acknowledged and responded to; the negative as well as the positive ones.  If you assign a team leader for the follow up, then make sure you receive thorough updates on the progress of your social media campaign.  Ask for a report on its effectiveness.   Above all else, be open to suggestions from all members of your team especially if something about your message does not seem to be working.

It's Not Rocket Science

Through the centuries, mankind has used the power of both word and image to express ideas, announce events, and to educate the masses.  The early caveman drawings, Egyptian hieroglyphics, the town crier, the early days of radio and television have all served as the seeds to what we now refer to as social media.  While the terminology and the means to disseminate the information have evolved, the basic premise remains the same. 

I admit I will probably not garner any new fans; in fact, I may even lose some with this post.  However, let's be honest here.  Social media marketing is not rocket science.  There are those that seem to base their entire existence on the SEO, the Google Analytics, and the like. Seriously, if your online marketing strategy is approached with both common sense and a clear focus on the message, all that statistical "mumbo jumbo" becomes moot.  (Oh, that last line is sure to get some negative responses.)

That being said; why do so many of those who claim to be social media marketing experts or gurus try to sell us on the idea that this is something new?

Although my posts are primarily personal observations; I did take the time to research a link to some basic marketing concepts.  In doing so, I found the following from December, 2005:

Basic concepts of marketing  


1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: " I am very rich. Marry me !".
------------ That's "Direct Marketing"

2. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her & get her phone no.. The next day you call & say:" I am very rich. Marry me !".
------------ That's "Telemarketing"

3.You're at a party with a bunch of friends & see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her & says: " He's very rich. Marry him !".
---------------- That's "Advertising"

4. You're at a party & see a gorgeous girl. You get up, straighten your tie, walk up to her & pour her a drink. You then open the car door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride & say: " By the way, I'm very rich. Will you marry me !".
---------------- That's "Public Relations"

5. You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says: "You are very rich. Will you marry me !".
-------------------- That's "Brand Recognition"

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: " I am very rich. Marry me !".. She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
--------------------That's "Customer feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: " I am very rich. Marry me !". And she introduces you to her husband.
------------------- That's "Demand & Supply"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and, before you say anything, another person comes and tells her " I am very rich. Will you marry me !".and she goes with him.
-----------------That's "Competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say : " I am very rich. Marry me !"., Your wife arrives.
------------------- That's "Restriction for entering new markets" 

(source: Some Basic Marketing Concepts )

All nine of the above are as true today in the social media marketing industry as they were then.  Know your brand, know your competition and, most importantly, know your audience.  Every one of the 9 concepts have the marketer engaging with the audience in some way or another.  

Engagement should be every marketer's mantra.  If you actively engage with your fans and followers, all the numbers and statistics will fall into place. 

Have Fun With It

How often do you find yourself over thinking your next social media marketing campaign to the point that you even find yourself underwhelmed by the result? Granted, not every product or cause is inherently exciting.  Seriously though, how often have we seen mobs flocking to buy the latest in nuts and bolts or extolling the social significance of yet another municipal project?

My advice is to start having some fun with it.  Okay, before you start commenting that not everything is a joke and the organization or company you market is serious business; I understand and agree with you. However, there comes a point in marketing when you need to step back and ask yourself if your posts would want you to find out more.  

Having fun with your marketing strategy does not necessarily mean making everything a joke.  It is more about not taking yourself and your work product too seriously. We tend to be our biggest critics.

Now, back to those nuts and bolts.  From the following, which image is your eye initially drawn to?

This is a simplistic example of having some fun with your marketing content. It is definitely not a new concept, by any means.  Major brands do this all the time.  However, when it comes to local businesses, nonprofits and governments; creativity tends to be lacking.

While the two paragraph post about your upcoming event or special is no less important than anyone else's; does it garner the reach that you had envisioned? Ask yourself why others in your same industry seem to have a larger reach than you do.  What are their social media marketers doing that is so unique?

It is time to think outside the box and create your own way of marketing.  It may take several attempts; but as long as you are having fun doing it and you don't offend anyone along the way, why not give it a shot?

It's Like Talking to a Brick Wall

We have all had it happen. It doesn't matter if you are marketing for a small business, local nonprofit, local political organization or simply promoting your own personal branding; more often than we want to admit, the post bombs. There are no shares, no likes and no comments. We get the impression that we are talking to a brick wall.  Even worse, we start to believe that there really is a social media black hole and our posts are being sucked into it.

As I have posted previously, I am not a professionally trained social media strategist.  What I have learned, and continue to learn, is from extensive research and much trial and error.  I even make it a point to share the articles I find interesting on the various social media platforms to help others.  Even those seem to go unnoticed.  No one is immune to the "brick wall" effect.

I know it can get pretty frustrating especially for those small business owners who can't afford to pay for a big advertising campaign while they are struggling to keep their doors open for business.  To follow is a list of possible causes to the "brick wall" effect and some suggestions on how to avoid it:

1. Business Page vs. Personal Page:  Whether you are on Facebook or Google +, using a personal page (even if the name is that of your business or organization) for promotion limits your reach.  This is especially true in the case of Facebook which categorizes business pages to include in their Graph Search.  If you own a bar and promote it under a personal timeline, it will not come up in the business page results for Bars.  It is just that simple.  Consider converting the personal page to a business page. When you do this conversion in Facebook, the current personal page friends are converted over to page followers. 
2. Text Only Posts: We all agree that words can have a huge effect on people.  However, when it comes to social media marketing, the less words the better.  Including images or videos with your message will have a greater impact than words alone.  Yes, there will be times when only words will do.  In those instances, keep it short and sweet.  Most users of social media are doing so on mobile devices.  After a while, they are going to tire of scrolling through your several paragraph long post to get to the main point.
3. Begging or Bribing: The worst thing marketers can do is beg or bribe potential followers or customers. No matter how bad a day you are having at your business or organization, desperation does not win points with anyone.  We have become so accustomed to the "drama" that floods our social media news feeds; that we tend to forget that there is no place for it in marketing. Bribing followers with freebies is just as bad.  It comes off has been desperate and having little faith in your product, business or cause.
4. Hard Sell vs. Soft Sell: The time honored marketing technique of soft selling continues to hold true on social media.  Keep your posts light and friendly.  Add some humor (G-rated, of course).  All your posts do not have to be entirely focused on your product, business or cause; as long as they are relevant in some way.  Be creative and think outside of the box.
5. Engage with your followers: Remember to always engage with your followers.  If they like or comment on a post, acknowledge it; preferably within a reasonable amount of time. Even if the comments are negative, respond in a courteous manner.  By no means, delete them.  Comment (using your business page identity) on other pages; whether they be suppliers, national brands and even local competitors.  Nothing appeals more to your followers than maintaining a sense of camaraderie within your community and industry.

I hope you find these tips helpful.  There are many more that I could add. However, a girl does need to keep some secrets.

Has the "Social" Gone Out of Social Media?

The term social media can be interpreted in different ways depending on who you ask and more importantly, when you ask it.  

The average user views the various social media platforms as means to keep in touch with friends, family and co-workers.  They share news,events and pictures; lots and lots of pictures.  They will either have long drawn out conversations and discussions or simple "thumbs up", "+1" and "favorite" to express their feelings.  Let's not forget the "shares" and the "retweets".  Each of these actions in their own way are forms of social interaction when it comes to the world of social media.

We have seemed to have lost the social side of social media when we get to its use by businesses, nonprofits and politicians.  Whether they are running their social media campaigns internally or have hired outside "professionals"; it is obvious that many focus more on the media/marketing side of social media than all else.

More often than not on Facebook, at least,  I have posted something on a page's timeline or sent the page a private message only to never have it responded to or even viewed, in the case of a private message.  A majority of my messages are either questions or compliments, so you would assume that the page administrator would jump on the chance to acknowledge a page fan's attempt to have a social interaction.  Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.  A quick review of the posts made both prior and after mine, shows that my comment has not been singled out for non-response.

Those that manage fan pages; whether they be for a business, community, nonprofit or a political organization, need to realize that once they remove the social from their social media campaigns all they are left with are digital billboards.  Being social by nature, the last thing most humans want to interact with is a billboard. Those that do can usually be found standing in the middle of Times Square in NYC yelling at a legitimate digital billboard; and, even then, they usually have some other people around them joining in.