Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign

Communication in the digital ageCommunication in the digital ageIt’s all about socialising, sharing and creating

Marco Derksen

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign

november 2009

Obama is already converting the President’s bully pulpit into a social pulpit, delivering a message that is designed to be taken up and

spread by others with the tools and techniques learned during his spread by others, with the tools and techniques learned during his campaign. Instead of relying on the traditional one-way, top-down

approach to communications, the incoming administration is harnessing the power of public engagement to influence the harnessing the power of public engagement to influence the

conversation across various spheres of cross-influence

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media CampaignBy the numbers

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign1. Laddering support through tiers of engagement

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign1. Laddering support through tiers of engagement

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign2. Empowering super users

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign3. Providing source materials for user-generated content

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign4. Going where the people are

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign4. Going where the people are

Facebook(official)

1 110

Facebook(official)

1 1101,1101,110Facebook

(“1M Strong”)587

Facebook(“1M Strong”)

587Glee

2Glee

2

MyBarackObama930

MyBarackObama930

MiMi

Twitter46

Twitter46

Black Planet490

Black Planet490

M SM S

YouTubeYouTube

MiGente

54

MiGente

54

75% of the communityMySpace

415MySpace

4156262

yexists “out there”

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign5. Using tools people are familiar with

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign6. Ensuring that people can find your content

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign7. Mobilizing supporters through mobile devices

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign8. Harnessing analytics to improve engagement activities

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign9. Building the online operation to scale

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media Campaign10. Choosing the right team

3.0 million contributors3.0 million contributors6.5 million online donations93% less than $10093% less than $100$80 Average online donation$$500 million raised online

Lessons from Obama’s Social Media CampaignCredits

http://www.slideshare.net/saydowin/obama-socialp yhttp://www.slideshare.net/socialmedia8/case-study-the-barack-obama-strategyhttp://www.slideshare.net/montelutz/social-pulpit-barack-obamas-social-media-toolkithttp://www csnblog nl/de-waarde-van-obamas-social-http://www.csnblog.nl/de waarde van obamas socialmedia-strategie-voor-nederlandse-politici/http://www.sg.uu.nl/prog/2009b/plug_in.html

Thanks to Igor Beuker, Paul van Veenendaal, Karlijn van den Berg, Thijs Sprangers David Nieborg Monte Lutz Adam CahillSprangers, David Nieborg, Monte Lutz, Adam Cahill