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How Politics Has Changed Social Media
Social media and politics—what’s the first thought that comes to mind? Donald Trump’s Twitter rants? Hillary Clinton’s campaign video? Whatever it is, it just goes to show that social media has become an important component of a politician’s campaign, especially those running for the presidential seat. Politicians’ jumping onto using social media to connect with constituents is a true testament to how valuable of a tool social media has become for branding – both personal and corporate.
Presidential hopefuls in particular are taking to social media to connect with voters of all ages. And it was only just recently that the social media became one of the forefronts of communication between voters and candidates. It was Barack Obama’s first presidential run that really changed the political social media landscape. Utilizing 15 social platforms, Obama reached 5 million supporters—2.5 million Facebook supporters, 115,000 Twitter followers, and 50 million viewers of his YouTube channel, according to a report on the Dragonfly Effect.
Since politics have come into play on social media, it’s changed the landscape. It’s a way for politicians to build their personal brand and keep in constant contact with a huge audience.
Candidates are using a plethora of social media to reach voters. In an August 2015 Newsweek article, reporter Joanna Brenner compared the social media use of all GOP and Democratic candidates across seven platforms—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Meerkat and Periscope. As of Oct. 13, Rand Paul was the only candidate to use all eight. But every candidate had a Twitter and Facebook profile, and 90 percent of them had an Instagram account. The list still includes the former Democratic candidates Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb who dropped out of the race in October.
How does this relate back to corporate business? It’s all about interaction. Social media gives organizations a more active voice and many more platforms to communicate with essentially any audience. According to a 2015 Pew Research Report, 74% of internet users used some form of social media, and the numbers continue to grow.
Social media is more than just a tool for brands to communicate with their clients or consumers, it also allows their audience to give them feedback or ask for help. An example is Netflix. The company has its own Twitter account (@Netflix). This is just an example of the interaction brands can have with their audience through social media that seems more personal, informal and prompt than an email, press release or phone call.
At this day and age, nearly every business should have some form of corporate social media. The trickiest part is figuring out how to integrate these platforms into your digital strategy. We all know that social media is evolving and moving more towards video as its primary source of content [link to video infographic] and an effective business strategy should be evolving with it – and this is why it’s so important to have corporate social media. Whether that is a Facebook page or Twitter account—or both—or even an Instagram, connecting with others on social media opens a business up to a whole new audience and will almost guarantee a reach to new consumers.
What social media platforms are you using in your business, and how are in integrating them in your digital strategy? We’d love to hear about them – leave a message in the comments below or connect with us on our social media pages! We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
Written by Crews Control’s Sara Goodwin
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