Social Media and Politics
  an introduction to social media for politicians




                                  by twitter.com/philippebossin
What is web 2.0?

• websites/internet applications which
  empower people to
    • share information
    • work together
• usability and accesibility are key to web 2.0
A web 2.0 site
• allows visitors/users/voters to
  communicate with other visitors/
  users/voters
• can allow users to post their own content
  (think Wikipedia)
• is not simply showing information (one way
  communication)
Social Media

• empowered by web 2.0
• “one to many” communication changing
  into “many to many”
• everyone, every voter becomes an online
  “broadcaster”
Social Media and Politics

• politics 2.0
   • “the idea that social media and e-
      participation allow voters to follow,
      support and influence politics and
      political campaigns like never before”
the Obama campaign
     setting the scene
“Tell stories. Make design a priority. Focus
on people. Use video whenever possible.
Build community. Treat your email list with
great respect. And, in doing so, help to turn
visions of how the world should be into
how it is.”
                      Joe Rospars - on the Obama campaign
Obama ’08

• November 2008, election day
   • 115.000 followers on twitter
   • 2.401.386 fans on Facebook (versus
      McCain: 623.662)
President Obama

• January 2009, Inauguration Day
    • over 200.000 Facebook updates
    • over 4.000.000 Facebook fans
So, where do I start?
Starting with social media

• register an account at www.facebook.com
• don’t start with politics!
   • first, connect with your family, friends
      and colleagues
    • add people you know to your network
    • have a look around, observe
Your first steps
• every (online) community has its own
  etiquette
   • e.g. on Facebook, people tend to only
      add people they already know offline,
      on twitter, it’s perfectly acceptable to
      follow people you don’t know
• your first days on a new network, just
  observe the community. Watch and learn
  how people connect.
Let’s get to work
• after a few days or weeks, you will have
  built your own network
    • try some new things
    • share interesting stories, behind the
      scenes photos, or videos and observe
      which kind of information elicits
      response
    • connect with the community: give a
      comment or two on content other
      people shared
Social media = be social
• therefore, engage your network
• after a while, when you start talking
  politics, people will react/comment. Good!
• expect negative response. Just stay calm
  and polite.
    • don’t get all worked up. Explain your
      vision in a friendly way. Walk away if
      the debate gets too heated.
There’s a whole world
      out there
• go out and discover!
• join twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, ...
• create an account on sites that seem
  interesting, see what works for you
• there’s no point in joining a whole lot of
  sites, if you or your staff are never
  connecting with the community
‘Using’ your network
• you don’t have to create new content for
  each one of your networks
• use your networks as
  distributionplatforms
   • did you write a new blogpost? Then
      share it on Facebook, twitter,
      MySpace, ...
What content?
• internal and external!
   • internal: a new blogpost you wrote
      yourself, a press release, a video you
      shot yourself, etc.
   • external: interesting articles from an
      online newssite, a fun YouTube video
      with a message, etc.
   • sharing external content increases
      your interestingness and integrates
      your online presence in the
      community
And thus...

• go online and try new things
• see what works for you and your campaign
• connect with your network, they will
  reward you by doing a lot of campaigning
  for you
Wanna learn more?

‣ bossin.philippe@gmail.com
‣ twitter.com/philippebossin
‣ www.facebook.com/philippebossin
‣ www.facebook.com/epolitics

Social Media And Politics

  • 1.
    Social Media andPolitics an introduction to social media for politicians by twitter.com/philippebossin
  • 2.
    What is web2.0? • websites/internet applications which empower people to • share information • work together • usability and accesibility are key to web 2.0
  • 3.
    A web 2.0site • allows visitors/users/voters to communicate with other visitors/ users/voters • can allow users to post their own content (think Wikipedia) • is not simply showing information (one way communication)
  • 4.
    Social Media • empoweredby web 2.0 • “one to many” communication changing into “many to many” • everyone, every voter becomes an online “broadcaster”
  • 6.
    Social Media andPolitics • politics 2.0 • “the idea that social media and e- participation allow voters to follow, support and influence politics and political campaigns like never before”
  • 7.
    the Obama campaign setting the scene
  • 9.
    “Tell stories. Makedesign a priority. Focus on people. Use video whenever possible. Build community. Treat your email list with great respect. And, in doing so, help to turn visions of how the world should be into how it is.” Joe Rospars - on the Obama campaign
  • 10.
    Obama ’08 • November2008, election day • 115.000 followers on twitter • 2.401.386 fans on Facebook (versus McCain: 623.662)
  • 11.
    President Obama • January2009, Inauguration Day • over 200.000 Facebook updates • over 4.000.000 Facebook fans
  • 12.
    So, where doI start?
  • 13.
    Starting with socialmedia • register an account at www.facebook.com • don’t start with politics! • first, connect with your family, friends and colleagues • add people you know to your network • have a look around, observe
  • 14.
    Your first steps •every (online) community has its own etiquette • e.g. on Facebook, people tend to only add people they already know offline, on twitter, it’s perfectly acceptable to follow people you don’t know • your first days on a new network, just observe the community. Watch and learn how people connect.
  • 15.
    Let’s get towork • after a few days or weeks, you will have built your own network • try some new things • share interesting stories, behind the scenes photos, or videos and observe which kind of information elicits response • connect with the community: give a comment or two on content other people shared
  • 16.
    Social media =be social • therefore, engage your network • after a while, when you start talking politics, people will react/comment. Good! • expect negative response. Just stay calm and polite. • don’t get all worked up. Explain your vision in a friendly way. Walk away if the debate gets too heated.
  • 17.
    There’s a wholeworld out there • go out and discover! • join twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, ... • create an account on sites that seem interesting, see what works for you • there’s no point in joining a whole lot of sites, if you or your staff are never connecting with the community
  • 18.
    ‘Using’ your network •you don’t have to create new content for each one of your networks • use your networks as distributionplatforms • did you write a new blogpost? Then share it on Facebook, twitter, MySpace, ...
  • 19.
    What content? • internaland external! • internal: a new blogpost you wrote yourself, a press release, a video you shot yourself, etc. • external: interesting articles from an online newssite, a fun YouTube video with a message, etc. • sharing external content increases your interestingness and integrates your online presence in the community
  • 20.
    And thus... • goonline and try new things • see what works for you and your campaign • connect with your network, they will reward you by doing a lot of campaigning for you
  • 21.
    Wanna learn more? ‣[email protected] ‣ twitter.com/philippebossin ‣ www.facebook.com/philippebossin ‣ www.facebook.com/epolitics