Daniel Vaczi
Among our list of the most influential social media campaigns of the year is the use of social media marketing for the upcoming 2016 Presidential election. The election year may not have officially started yet – but the US presidential election is already the hottest topic of conversation on at least one social media giant. Facebook’s recently released Year in Review points to the upcoming election as the hottest subject of conversation – regardless of the candidate, philosophy, or party users follow.
Not surprisingly, Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton and outgoing president Barack Obama were also in the top 5 trending topics on Facebook. People are talking, liking and posting – but how will Facebook and its social media counterparts impact the 2016 election -- and how have candidates already embraced the idea of social media marketing?
Twitter, Facebook and even Instagram are well positioned to impact the election in a variety of ways as the big day draws closer.
Social Media as a News Source for a New Generation
A recent study by the American Press Institute revealed that 88% of Millennials use Facebook and social media as primary sources for news. Seeing these outlets as not only a source of viral fun, personal connections, and games. Millennials are now the largest block of voters and decision makers – and some who were not old enough to vote in the last election will be able to play a key role in the next one. Candidates can't afford to avoid or alienate this hugely influential group, so a good social media marketing campaign will be a required component for any savvy campaign.
The same goes for B2B marketing. A Google Insight study has shown that millenials have become an integral part of the research and decision-making groups for business to business entities. Whatever industry you're in, being online is no longer the sole game; you must get found, resonate, engage, and be proactive in digital spaces such as social media channels like LinkedIn and Facebook.
Candidates Embrace and Engage on Social Media
Most candidates have embraced social media wholeheartedly and this adoption of Twitter, Facebook and similar social media marketing sites by the potential next president makes the sites relevant. Since the candidates themselves have “official” pages they are clearly indicating that they believe in social media as legitimate outlet worthy of their attention, and rightfully so.
These days, brands including politicians and those in B2B industries are simply at the losing end of the stick without active presence on social media for multiple reasons, namely: awareness, engagement, and even SEO. Whether these campaigns are used for purely influence marketing or to actively court voters, the returns are definitely great with the right strategies in place.
Courting Voters in 140 Characters or Less
photo by: intermarkets.net
Twitter frontrunners Hillary Clinton (with just over 4.8 million followers) and Donald Trump (with just shy of 5.2 million followers) post soundbites, images, opinions and statements throughout the day, sometimes as frequently as once an hour, making the site a valid source for up to the minute candidate news. While a follower isn’t necessarily a voter, these big numbers mean that people are reading and watching these candidates already, despite the 11 month wait until the election.
Parody accounts abound,so users must look for the blue "verified" checkmark to be sure they are following real candidates.
Instagram = Instavote?
Some candidates are embracing more visual media; a recent Super PAC announcement by Jeb Bush was published simultaneously in English and Spanish on Instagram. The video seems informal and was almost certainly designed to fit in well with the stream of user-posted videos on the site.
A recent piece in the Washington Post points out that this less formal, more familiar style of contact may very well become a new normal way of meeting a candidate this election cycle. With over 300 million regular monthly users, the visually driven site may very well be too large for candidates to ignore.
No More Private Faux Pas
In even the last election year, when a candidate flubbed a speech, made a mistake or made an outlandish statement, they might have been able to slip by unnoticed. With several million followers watching and posting each candidate during not only campaign events but in everyday life, faux pas and errors have the potential to go viral very quickly.
Social media is a double-edged sword for brands across all specturms. Just like B2B entities taking on social media marketing campaigns, a candidate who lets an offensive or questionable remark slip out, who states “facts” without checking them, or who simply has an off day may be faced with millions of followers (or more likely, followers of the opposition) promoting their error across multiple sites.
Social Media and Campaign Donations
Facebook already has the capacity to handle sales and donations, so being able to donate to your favorite candidate in a single click could soon be an option. The ability to not only follow and support preferred candidates during an election cycle, but to instantly make a donation to the campaign effort could change the way candidates and parties advertise and how they collect funds. As we draw closer to the actual election, keep an eye on this evolving issue to spot how candidates are embracing the fundraising side of social media.
Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are now a daily part of life for many Americans – “Tweet it or it didn’t happen”, sharing life changing events on Facebook and even announcing news on Instagram is the new normal. With this shift in focus from traditional outlets and media, B2B companies and politicians alike would definitely be missing out and will be way behind competitors without pursuing social media marketing strategies for their brands.
