Harvard Kennedy School presentation 2011

1. Using Social Media to
Launch Your Campaign or
Organization
Brand and Message
September 19, 2011

4. What We're Going to Do Today
• Establishing your brand
• Translating brand into your digital
presence

5. What You're Up Against
• Each day, US adults absorb:
• 34 GB data over 11.8
hours (USCD)
• 65% of online adults use
social media (Pew)
• Adults using the internet as
primary news source up 17%
between 2009-2010 (Pew)
• 1 in 4 adults accessed most of
their 2010 campaign news
online (Pew)
• 3-fold increase from 2002

6. Why START our presentation with
branding?
• Social media isn’t a
SOLUTION, it’s a tool that
can be deployed
strategically in support of a
larger organizational or
campaign goal.
• A brilliant social media
strategy cannot
compensate for a
campaign or organization
that lacks a strong,
memorable brand.

7. What's a Brand?
**What promises does your brand make?**

8. Example: Ben & Jerry’s v. Godiva

9. Must-Haves of a Brand Promise
• It must respond to a need
or problem FedEx will get my
• It must differentiate you package there
overnight
from the competition
• It must be simple to
understand Volvo will keep my
o It must be compact family safe
o It must be easy for
customers to translate
into their own words Obama will change the
o It must be about one direction of our country.
thing
• It must be emotionally
powerful

10. What are Messages?
It's the economy,
stupid.

12. Content and Distribution Channels
PR
TV/Ads Platform: content
Influencers Partner
Email Search Mobile Facebook YouTube Events
Twitter (blogs) organizations
Online ads
Your brand is
everywhere, and it’s
consistent!

13. Baseline: Website
• Your website houses your content
• Content’s purpose:
o Who we are (delivering on the promise)
o How you can join us
o What we’re doing and why it’s so crucial
o Who pays the bills
• Most people won’t come back to your site voluntarily…you
need to go out and get them

14. Use Your Channels for Message
Getting to know you
• Search engine visibility
• Presence on major platforms and networks
• Building the relationship
News/Rapid response
• Twitter (esp. for media and influentials)
• Email list
• Know what your opposition is doing online
• Mobilization
Niche marketing, not mass
• Use channels to tailor your message and make it relevant
• Build relationships

15. SEARCH

16. Source: Quantcast; http://www.slideshare.net/FredSolop/social-media-and-
politics-may-20-2009

19. Message: Bulk Email
Collect email at every chance you get
• Site
• Events
• All posters, collateral
Google Groups
• Segment, internal
StreamSend, MyEmma, Constant Contact
• Stats, spam filters, segmenting
• How does your email list bump up against social
media?

21. Mobilizing

22. Mobilizing/Oppo
• Google Calendar • Google Alerts
• MeetUp • Free social media tools
• Facebook • Compete.com
• Upcoming.com
• Office Hours
• Emails!

23. Running on PEOPLE
It’s all about retail politics!
• Thank you’s, follow ups and celebrations!
• Give people a chance to grow
LIST MAINTENANCE
• Your list is your source of power!
Social Events outside of just electoral work
• People come for the cause and stay for coffee
Social Networks are key
• They save money and time
• Positive use of social pressure – the bandwagon effect.
Source: Tanya Tarr, http://www.slideshare.net/tanyatarr/being-the-change-in-action

27. Social Networks are not a Silver Bullet
• Social networks are the
interactive visibility tool of
the digital age
• Thousands of followers or
“likes” don't directly
translate into votes or
action
• Social networks are only
one tool at a campaign's
disposal

28. Good Sites
• epolitics.com
• NTEN.org
• neworganizing.com
• http://personaldemocracy.com/
• What You Need to Know About Facebook Marketing: http://
bit.ly/ce4qLL
• PDF “Who to Hire”

29. Finally...
• Don’t underestimate interns and young staffers
• But don’t shortchange your web program. It IS
worth your personal and loving attention!