Good Golly Miss Molly: Republican Candidates use of Social Media

Game-changing election

President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was a game-changer. Obama’s campaign utilized social media like no one had ever seen. Obama won the election with his social media use, no doubt about it. The 2008 election was a learning experience for politicians. To see just how much they learned, I conducted a little experiment of my own. Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly the most popular social media platforms, so I decided to take a look at just how well the four Republican presidential candidates conquered the social media realm.

Santorum’s swing… and a miss

Rick Santorum’s campaign does use Facebook and Twitter pretty effectively. The main page for the politician has over 110,000 likes and is updated every few hours. Now, I know it is unrealistic to expect busy politicians to personally update their Facebook pages, but sometimes the illusion of feeling like they are personally taking the time to communicate is enough. Sure, Santorum’s Facebook page gives great information about the candidate, like where he is going to be, news articles and videos promoting his efforts, and links to where you can make donations, but it is blatantly obvious that Santorum himself does not do most, if any, of the updating. There are a few posts that appear as if they could be directly from Santorum, but after reading all of campaign lackey’s work, I just naturally assume that Santorum himself is not involved in this aspect of his campaign. However, his Twitter account gives off a different vibe. Santorum’s Twitter account has over a thousand more followers than his Facebook. It also is more personal. The description alone gives followers the feeling that they are hearing from Santorum himself, when he uses the phrase “Karen and I,” referring to his wife. His tweets are also similar, with phrases like “join me,” and “you’re invited.” However, there is room for improvement. Whoever runs Santorum’s Twitter should consider retweeting more people, to make supporters feel as if they’re being heard. Also, Santorum’s tweets often use the hashtag #decision2012, which is pretty general compared to some of his opponents more personalized hashtags.

Gingrich gains speed

Next up is Newt Gingrich. Gingrich’s Facebook are Twitter are also both effectively used, and even more so than Santorum’s. The candidate’s Facebook page is more personal and interactive. Although Gingrich’s posts are dedicated more to his political views and causes than, say, where he’s going to be, they encourage Facebook users to be more involved, prompting them to “like” or “share” photos and videos. This approach may be a factor in why Gingrich’s page has over double the amount of likes than Santorum’s. Also, at the top, where “tagged” photos would typically be, Gingrich’s page has five icons labeled “sign up,” “donate,” “Twitter,” “website” and “take action,” directing users off the Facebook page, and onto other sites where they can access more information. Gingrich’s Twitter is more similar to Santorum’s. Gingrich’s description and tweets both have that personal feel. Gingrich's Twitter could feature more retweets, but Gingrich must be doing something right, as he has almost 1.5 million followers. The Twitter also has a better hastag, #withnewt, which is more personal and original than Santorum’s.

Paul’s push

The content on Ron Paul's Facebook page is similar to his opponents, but blows them out of the water in terms of “likes,” ringing in at close to 850,000. The posts share content with supporters and are similar to the other candidates in that at times it could be Paul himself, and others its obviously not. On the other hand, Paul’s Twitter account is nowhere near as impressive as Santorum’s or Gingrich’s. Paul’s Twitter, only has just over 130,000 followers. The content has the same, less personal feel as the Facebook page, unlike his fellow candidate’s which feel personal. Even Paul’s description is impersonal and boring: “Congressman Ron Paul.” One fault in the account is the lack of hastags. Hashtags are a great way to let followers access more content and tweets about the candidate. Having a specific campaign hastag, like Gingrich, is a great way for people to show support, and have the connection of using the same hashtag as their candidate. People may make up their own Ron Paul hastags, but they do not have the same unified effect.

Romney takes the lead

In the end, the Republican presidential candidate that takes the cake for utilizing social media is Mitt Romney. Romney’s Facebook page is even better than Obama’s, and has close to 1.5 million likes. It is well organized, and gives supports options to sign up for email updates, donate and “get involved,” right on Facebook. Another interesting feature is the eye-grabbing layout of videos right at the top, directly under his slogan. Instead of the boring, traditional layout the other candidates use, Romney’s Facebook has all of these features before you even get to the posts. The posts and updates themselves are integrated with Twitter, allowing the reader to use the filters: all, Facebook, Twitter, or #Mitt2012, to choose what content they want to see. Romney’s Twitter may not have as many followers as Gingrich’s, but it is pretty impressive nonetheless, with almost 330,000. Romney’s tweets are also personal, and give the feeling that you’re hearing from the politician himself. Romney’s Twitter goes the extra mile, and uses hastags besides his own effectively. It also features tweeting at other people, such as Obama, to drive his points home. All in all, Romney’s social media platforms are both the most interactive and personal. In the social media showdown, Romney came out on top.