For the sake of transparency, I consider myself a moderate in terms of my political/social views. This blog post is by no means meant to help either side of the political spectrum more than the other. I’m a fan of innovation at mostly all costs. Innovating government and citizen engagement is one of my big lifetime goals. I’m a part of a team that’s developing Influence, a kick ass disruptive platform that will change local politics forever (coming January 2012).
The goal with this post is to help anyone who is running for anything win their election with the help of social media. Majority Leader Eric Cantor is an example of a politician who is totally rocking social media to the max. Check out my tips below and win win win.
Direct All Traffic to a Branded Facebook Fan Page
A vibrant Facebook community is gold. Facebook captures all age demographics and it has a living-breathing community quality.
Have Your Team Monitor Twitter’s Pulse
Twitter is the social news distribution that needs constant monitoring. “Listen” for mentions of your name (your brand) and monitor the chatter on issues important to you and your campaign.
Host Your Professional and Candid Photos on Flickr
You want to be source of for images related to you. Let the blogosphere get photos of you from you. Inclusion of candid shots is important. You want the world to see your human/regular person (non-politician) side.
Google+ Hangout to Engage Supporters Live
Hangouts are a great way to give your supports live access and an opportunity to interact with you. Brand yourself as approachable. Imagine the buzz you can build with these type of video chats. Don’t be shocked if a non-supporter pops up and tries to ruin the party. This is a chance to show that you can respectfully handle these type of situations.
Promote FourSquare Swarm Rallies
FourSquare is an excellent way for your rallies to go viral. Your supporters can share their whereabouts from FourSquare to Twitter and Facebook. This is another way to make your own news.
Put Your Great Moments on YouTube
Highlights aren’t only meant for Sportscenter. You want people to be able to access video of your great moments at any time. If there are not-so-great moments floating out there, it’s your duty to flood the Internet with your great moments so the scale is tipped back your way.
QR Code Everything
Put a QR code on all your campaign flyers, buttons, stickers and posters. Once again, direct your QR code to your Facebook Fan Page or to a spiffy mobile web destination that gives the user the opportunity to give you their contact information. Mobile is where it’s at.
Never Stop Engaging
After you win or lose, don’t let the momentum drop. I’ve seen a countless number of abandoned websites and social accounts for politicians. If you win, your supporters still want to hear your voice and want to know that you’re listening to them. If you lose, the same applies. You might have an opportunity to turn the majority’s support in your direction if your elected competitor falls out of favor.
