This blog has often been a forum to discuss how leaders can use technology to sell, promote, and push their message. Namely, we’ve been focusing on how social media can help leaders and organizations gain and sustain momentum.
When we look at the political landscape we often talk about multi-million dollar political campaigns, glossy advertising, and the dubious role of lobbyists. This is changing in the social technology age. Political campaigns are becoming more grounded and working hard to reach supporters through informal, online, networks.
This evolution was most clearly evidenced in President Obama’s presidential campaign. Experts, pundits, and political analysts marveled in unison at Obama’s Facebook page and his nicely designed web site. Some even suggested that it was a contributing factor to Obama’s victory. Still, the Obama campaign’s social media efforts seemed like a massive, orchestrated, and financed spectacle. It wasn’t exactly a grounded or an organic effort.
The true strength of social media is going to be found in the type of presentations that allow leaders and campaigners to get their message out in a organic, quick, and relevant fashion.
A social media campaign pitch can be effective with a small video camera, a candid approach, and some friends. That’s it. Consider the Bryan Weaver Youtube video (below) as a great example of how you can easily and effecting promote your message using social media. It’s real, it’s candid, it’s natural, and it’s the reason why people are watching it in the thousands.
Obviously, this is not an endorsement of Mr. Weaver’s campagin, but only an illustration of the practical use of social media to focus and spread a messasge.
Picture Credit: Library of Congress
