Thanks to everyone who checked out and Dugg/Stumbled our first entry on the Presidential primaries.
This is the second half of our political series, focusing on what the Democratic candidates are doing from a word of mouth and social media standpoint. Enjoy!
Over the past year, Obama and his faithful supporters have really been able to tap into a number of emerging mediums. His camp has been successful in merging these newer technologies and social tools with traditional efforts to effectively spread his message.
Take for example, his foray into the mobile scene. His supporters have the option receive Obama updates and news on their mobile phones by texting keywords to a five-digit number. If they’d like general information, they text “GO”. Or, if they’d like topic specific news, they can simply text “IRAQ” or “HEALTH” to the same number. The information is topical, and can easily be forwarded to friends.
And Barack is Twittering too. For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it’s a social networking tool that allows members share one or two sentence updates about what they’re doing at that moment, via a text message, instant message or email.
Every few days, the Obama Twitter page will update with a message that reads something like:
Using this tool, Barack has been able to update and provide news to his Twitter followers with a few keystrokes and a click of a mouse. It’s a nice way to stay in touch.
Clinton, no stranger to what it takes to win the popular vote, has combined the support of her passionate followers with several offline and online word of mouth tactics.
In a move aimed at lessening the need for traditional volunteer centers, Clinton has incorporated a call service into her own website, where supporters sign in to receive names and phone number of potential voters from across the nation. They are asked to follow a set script, and are then prompted to report back on the results of the call.
It’s a very smart move for Clinton as it cuts back on the reliance of traditional brick-and-mortar call centers, and simplifies the process of reaching out to these potential voters. Imagine pulling up these phone numbers on your iPhone and making calls while stuck in traffic. It’s a great way to empower her advocates, and is sure to be mimicked in election years to come.
Like a number of her competitors, Hillary has also built a “Find/Plan an Event” feature into her site. This tool lets volunteers agree to host a Hillary themed party at their own homes or an outside location, and provide details on locations and timing. People search for ‘parties’ in their area and sign up to attend.
These get-togethers focus on raising additional campaign contributions, watching Democratic debates, or simply discussing the nation’s issues. Not only do they provide a perfect way to connect face-to-face with like-minded voters, but they also serve as a means of generating buzz around her grassroots following.
Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, has incorporated a number of word of mouth tactics into his overall strategic approach, with the hopes of gaining ground on the leading Democratic candidates.
In a program intended to draw support from the Latino demographic, the Richardson camp has created what is known as Mi Familia Con Bill Richardson. This nationwide initiative produces a network of families to serve as his ambassadors. They are given the tasks of connecting with and recruiting other local families, as well as performing basic volunteer activities (collecting voter information, hosting debate parties, etc.)
Richardson has also tapped into the user-generated video model through his website. In a section of his site, called “Ask Bill”, visitors can submit text, audio or video questions for the governor to respond to. Each week, one question is selected, and Richardson replies via a YouTube video.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=lzgDc1e1u1I[/youtube]
Once again, we want to hear what you think about how the election is shaping up from a WOM and social media perspective. Who’s doing it right? What tactics are most influential on election day? And who’s gonna win????
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