Social Networks

a)Twitter

Twitter is one of the fastest growing and accessible forms of online communication. At the end of October 2010, it was reported that Twitter is up to 175 million users, which is itself 30 million users greater than the numbers reported in September—145 million. If you do the math, that's a growth rate of roughly 15 million users per month, or about half a million users per day.[1]

Who's a Twitter star?

Keeping an updated and informative Twitter account is not time consuming and can provide significant returns for incumbent and new candidates alike. Tweets should follow the same general rules as Facebook status updates: stay on message with tweets, discussing the candidate's actions on whichever issues the campaign is talking off-line that day. However, tweets will not read like a series of press releases, as this is both impossible in 140 characters and will quickly bore followers. Instead, messages should engage friends and fans, asking them questions and making roughly one out of four tweets of a personal and friendly rather than professional nature.

Understand the 140 character limit, which requires balancing shortened language with professional messaging
Tweets can be deleted but not edited. Even if a tweet is deleted, don’t assume it hasn’t been seen, copied and distributed
Use @replies wisely. These are public responses to other individuals, which can be useful but can lead to a “twitter war”
Include pictures, links and other media to give followers as much information as possible and/or direct them to more detailed sites
Monitor trending topics to view current issues of interest as well as candidate specific mentions
Utilize Twitter as an organizing tool. Tweets can be used to remind supporters about events and they can easily repost these details to their own followers
Above all, remember that Twitter is a public media forum and tweets can be seen and used by anyone on the internet

Bad:

"Tracking Twitter Traffic About the 2010 Midterm Elections," The New York Times:

7 tweets in less than 12 hours. Overexposed?:

b) Youtube

YouTube is a video-sharing website where individuals and groups can upload, share and categorize videos. It is ranked #3 in the world according to the three-month Alexa traffic rankings, popular videos can generate millions of unique views and it is used by diverse audiences.[2] Candidates may want to create their own YouTube account or channel so videos can be collected in one area. The campaign’s Youtube account should post several different types of videos. This will include paid television ads, the candidate’s speeches, and, once a week, special produced-for-internet ‘behind the scenes’ videos that will make viewers feel like a part of the campaign. Candidates must also regard YouTube as a platform for opposition material and unflattering moments caught on camera.

Use YouTube as a way to connect with supporters by making important announcements or events by video. These can be attached to emails or as a stand-alone device
Address more complicated issues with a YouTube video that includes more detailed information than other digital media allows
YouTube can also be a platform to respond to opposition attacks outside the official campaign channel through supporters and affiliate groups
Be aware of copyright laws – materials uploaded on YouTube are subject to the same copyright laws as they would if used in a public event
Consider blocking comments to videos. Comments by users are anonymous and not moderated, which can lead to hateful and/or violent speech that may be associated with the candidate.
Search frequently for the candidate and related campaign keywords – positive user-generated videos can be linked to the candidate’s account and negative videos may need to be addressed
Finally, assume that any moment during, before and after the campaign could be recorded, posted and sent to the public

Bad:

Good:

c) Facebook

According to Alexa, Facebook is the second most popular website in the world.[3] It boasts over 500 million active users who spend more than 700 billion minutes per month on the site.[4] Since many supporters visit Facebook daily, it is important to incorporate an active profile into campaign media strategy. Both personal and fan pages should be created and updated with a new status once a day. Most of the updates should focus on personal work, rather than campaign news, which will be covered in a variety of other outlets. These entries should stay on message with updates discussing the candidate's actions on whichever issues the campaign is talking about off-line that day.

View the full PBS MediaShift tool here

Do not underestimate the importance of cultivating an online presence. Avid social networkers are more likely to vote than casual ones and are important targets for engagement.
Use Facebook to its fullest potential – create events, groups, Platform applications and post links to outside sites rather than just relying on a profile.
Encourage voter participation by reminding friends of polling locations, important dates and information on opponents.
Remind staff and associates of the importance of maintaining an innocuous Facebook profile. Photos and comments are never truly deleted and can come back to haunt a campaign.
Status updates should not read like a series of press releases, as this will cause friends and fans to ignore updates when they appear in their news feeds.
Facebook interactions should engage friends and fans, asking them questions and making roughly one out of four updates of a personal and friendly rather than professional nature.
Event photos will be added the account, tagging other supporters who appear in the pictures whenever possible.
In order to attract more fans and friends, the online advertising on Facebook will link people to the fan page.
Expand social networking to other sites as well – MySpace, niche sites