podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, etc...) though unrealistic to expect one person to manage that many on- line properties effectively. Accounts and groups with no activity send a very loud and clear message. Rather than trying to be seen everywhere, be engaged in the outposts where it makes the most sense for the campaign. Know which of the tools work in service to the goals of the campaign and use them to achieve that goal. I also suggest campaigns consider the question “why?” on using a par- ticular digital channel and what they hope to achieve by using it. That is, know the goal of posting videos to You- Tube and make sure the videos achieve that goal. There’s a difference between recording and publishing everything the candidate does and using videos to unveil the pillars of the platform in various locations around the riding and/ or showing the candidate’s personality through videos of community events. Give people a reason to join all of your selected outposts by making each unique and important rather than regurgitating the same content in all of them. Be engaged. Social media are not broadcast channels.
They've become popular because they're a proxy for hu- man interaction. They're relationship building tools which accommodate real-time and time-and-place-shifted inter- action, and like any meaningful relationship in the real
world it takes time and patience to become part of the inner circle -- you have to navigate through awareness, acquaintance, friendship, and trusted friendship along the way. The most successful online communities have be- come so through the active participation of the personali- ties that created them. Which means campaign staff and especially the candidate must invest the time necessary to provide value for the community and make each member feel important. Remember, people relate to other people, not to large organizations or brands. Digital is no longer the cute thing young people are “doing”. Social media are reinventing the way people and organizations communicate and do business. They’re changing the way news is collected, distributed and shaped. They’re stripping away layers in the communica- tions supply chain. Each successive election is becoming more digitized and yet the rules of engagement, interac- tion and discretion remain the same. They still require the human touch.
Mark Blevis is an Associate Vice President and digital public affairs strategist with Fleishman-Hillard in Ottawa. He also studies the use of digital communications in Canadian politics and blogs at
MarkBlevis.com.
Momentuum Builds Relationships
and Relationships build Momentum
Doing business with our customers is a privilege not a right.
We work hard to earn your business.
215 Carlingview Drive Unit 310 Toronto Ontario, M9W 5X6 (877)870.8875 •
www.momentuum.com
Providing Political Campaign Support Services in Canada for over 10 Years
• Fundraising • Voter Identification • GOTV Programs
• Leveraging both Live Agent Calling and Automated Interactive Broadcast Technologies
• The Innovative Alternative to Lowering your Cost in Voter Contact
December 2010 | Campaigns & Elections 57
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79