the new grassroots: social media and the post-post modern campaign - smart board exchange

I am currently consulting for a friend's political campaign, a position (
County Supervisor)
While this is very important, few voters know it.
When we had our first campaign steering committee meeting last summer, my first suggestion was to build a Facebook page.
"We have to make sure young people know about Mike (McGuire)
Is the best candidate for the most important job they have never heard.
"Seven months later, with almost Facebook friends and nearly 500 Twitter followers, we now have a personal experience of what social media means for grassroots sports.
We used these media to coordinate dozens of wells.
Planning events, announcing campaign-related news and attracting voters on prominent issues in the region.
As an experiment with President Obama's national day service, we held a coat event for the Sonoma County Homeless Task Force, which we only promoted on Facebook and Twitter.
On the most rainy day of January, nearly 100 people drove to our town and sent more than 300 coats in total.
This is extraordinary.
But perhaps more interesting than these media are highly mobilizing people is the extent to which people are connected.
Build quality networks through social media (
This is not just for political candidates)
About depth and scope.
People in coat drive (
So many other local events that the campaign has hosted over the past four months)
It feels like they know what Mike is doing and they can get close to him.
The feeling of this personal relationship is essential for a winning campaign, especially a campaign with a grassroots communication and outreach model (
As some presidents can tell you).
Not all social media interactions are warm and fuzzy, but the media still allows for quick communication of conversations and messages at lightning speed.
Candidates who do not invest in building a strong social media base will feel the consequences of the spread of information in the blink of an eye.
Perhaps a variant of this old saying is "a tweet can be released around the world before the press release starts.
"A recent local example is the debate on SMART progress (
Rail transit Sonoma Marin area)
This is a very prominent issue for Sonoma County residents who voted to pass a tax on 2008 to support a high tax creation program
South of Marin County (Larkspur)
To the north of Sonoma County (Cloverdale).
The tax on voters in Sonoma County is much higher than the proportion of residents in Malin County and Sonoma County in the final passenger, as people tend to commute in Sonoma County rather than between Sonoma and Marin. Local media (
Including the largest local newspaper, The Press Democratic Party.
It was reported a few weeks ago that the smart board had made a decision.
Insufficient funds due to the recession --
Explore a Two
For the Sonoma County residents, the phase works of the railway will start construction in Marin, there is no clear date, as to when (or even if)
Funding for the Sonoma phase of the project will be in place.
Chairman of the Board of Directors (
He is a council member of a town in Sonoma County and is also a major competitor to the Board of Supervisors, Mike McGuire)
Answered a series of articles and op-
Dells laments the decision to fight back.
Peddling, insisting that no decision was made (
Although a vote has been made and in the public record)
But only the board "voted to explore these options ". " McGuire-
Smart rail and a firm supporter of tax retention in Sonoma County for local projects --
Write a petition (co-
By the way, another smart board member also happens to be the mayor of Cloverdale --
Suppose the "last stop" on the train ")
This requires the protection of SMART in Sonoma County and requires the board's decision to be more transparent --making process.
The petition, which has been advertised only on Facebook, Twitter via targeted email, already has more than 1000 signatures, and this number represents about 15% of those who have received a request for a signature.
This positive action is about ten times more than most grassroots petitions have received, and there is no doubt that success is due to the effectiveness of the social media blitz.
When McGuire and his team send tweets, Facebook status updates, and emails about the status of smart discussions and progress, the chairman of the board is holding a bag to try to justify the actions of the SMART Board (
According to her, or no. .
But in a controversial local debate, the beauty of social media is that it rewards open, frank communication and discussion, and by design prevents attempts to subvert transparency in decision-making --making.
In short, although it may take several times
After a while, the trend of social media is to reveal rather than manage the truth.
So those who understand not only its power, but the truth of the information may get the most out of it.
All this is not to say that the traditional form of election is outdated.
Instead, quality social media campaigns will work with traditional strategies to ensure that all voters are found in outreach campaigns --
From the people who know the most about technology to the people who know the technology. luddites.
As any campaign veteran will tell you, one of the most challenging tasks for a candidate is to get information quickly and cheaply.
The traditional way of communication (
Rely on press or direct mail)
It is not always reliable, and the former does not necessarily express the candidate's message in the desired way.
Social media gives candidates more control over their image and information and allows them-
If they create both scope and depth-
Guide the narrative about yourself.
Candidates who are unable to build this social media base may find themselves spending a lot of time and effort on defense rather than building one that resonates with, interacts with, or even mobilizes voters.
Mike McGuire's dozens of campaign volunteers were the ones he contacted through social media outreach.
This base is growing every hour.
Mike McGuire's social media strategy is quickly becoming a model for other local grassroots sports and a big fan (and user)
In these media, I find it exciting to see how these new technologies will continue to translate into reality.
World events and community participation in local and other places.
To find Mike McGuire online, you can visit his campaign site, Facebook page and Twitter account here.
If you are in this area (
Northern Sonoma County)
This is the smart petition.
Even if you are not in this area or this county, McGuire's social media team welcomes you to contribute to discussing the role of social media in contemporary grassroots campaigns.