Finding the Balance: Social Media & Campaigns

Today, the Internet continues to gain traction as arguably one of the most important political tools in a campaign’s arsenal. Campaign leaders and political communication strategists must acknowledge modern social media technologies as informative and integral resources that provide direct access to the opinions of supporters, constituents and adversaries for virtually little price, or in most cases none at all.

According to an article in the Campaign Handbook, successful campaigns are driven by the integration of modern media technologies with traditional forms of communication. Finding the appropriate balance between the traditional face-to-face constituent interaction and the contemporary digital communication strategies being adopted today is extremely important to the overall success a campaign experiences.

One major benefit campaigners are seeing as a result of incorporating social media in their communicative strategies is an increase in public outreach. The possibility to effectively build an audience, and therefore increase support, is undoubtedly a massive benefit. Once an online audience is formed, more traditional modes of communication, such as events and rallies, can be easily promoted via digital networking. In the modern day, not employing a strategic social media plan when campaigning for a cause or political figure is not only foolish, it is becoming unheard of, if it isn’t already. Here’s a more in-depth review of using social media in a political campaign.