Rob Salkowitz shares some interesting thoughts on what made the Obama campaign the social media juggernaut it was and considers what happens with that energy next.
For my part, I heard an American organizer abroad, who’s role was to galvanize interest among Americans in Canada speak on CBC. He postulated that if the community rousing machinery that he saw in place during the campaign could be kept in place during the administration, real change might actually happen.
“The campaign Website operated as a fundraising channel of unparalleled effectiveness, but that’s only the beginning. According to Marc Ambinder, a political columnist for the Atlantic Monthly, the personalized version of the site, MyBarackObama.com (MyBO), was built on three core principles:
- Enthusiasm: Firing up the Obama faithful with a constant stream of new information.
- Technology: Including forward-leaning use of blogs, social networking, text messaging, rich media content, geocoding, and tagging.
- Approach: Essentially online community building, or what an Obama aide called “accountable empowerment,” allowing volunteers to track their activities, share information with their friends, and gain rewards and recognition.
Unlike Dean’s earlier effort, or the Web programs of his opponents, Obama’s team never seemed to see the Internet audience as a novelty to be exploited or an annoyance to be tolerated. Rather, the social media channels reinforced the other strategic objectives of the campaign and connected directly to measured outcomes.
As the president-elect pivots from campaigning to governing, his transition site, Change.gov, appears to embody the same combination of 21st-century tech savvy and old fashioned political organizing acumen. The new site, just days old, is meticulously designed and aggregates news, information resources, a blog (with embedded media), a place to “tell your story,” and an online form to apply for jobs in the new administration.
What will be really interesting to watch is how the Obama presidency continues to use online channels to build and mobilize support for its programs. The campaign raised enormous expectations and unleashed the pent-up enthusiasm of millions of people hungry for change.”
Internet Evolution – Rob Salkowitz – From DotCom to DotGov: Obama’s Online Transition.
