Please #dontGo

Wikipedia describes Twitter as:

...a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

If you haven't yet joined Twitter, or if you aren't using it for your campaign, to advance your organization's public policy goals, or to get the word out about your business, it may be time to reconsider.

Twitter lets you stay connected and keeps your customer/constituent excited about your cause.

For example, when Nancy Pelosi cut the Congressional session short before the Representatives could debate the issue of domestic oil drilling, John Culberson of Texas started Twittering to cover the debate. Pelosi had ordered the C-SPAN cameras shut down and the lights turned off, so House members resorted to Twitter and qik.com to cover the event live, under the Twitter hashtag (means of following a particular discussion) #dontGo.

Although some Democrats have suggested that federal legislators should not be allowed to blog, use Twitter, or make use of other New Media platforms, the list of legislators and other government entities on Twitter continues to grow, and even the White House is on board.

The short and instant nature of Twitter posts, combined with the popularity of following individuals, groups, or causes through hashtags, make Twitter ideal for providing regular updates, linking to relevant articles, keeping people updated on product roll-outs, and other breaking news. Although it can't take the place of a blog in terms of depth and scope, Twitter can serve as a catalyst and a gateway to a wider New Media strategy, and can increase your group's visibility and relevance with your target audience.

If you're unsure if Twitter is right for your group, feel free to contact us. We'd be happy to help you determine if and how Twitter could work for you.

Tech Campaigns

I have been utterly amazed at the increase of tech toys...so to speak...in this year's election cycle. Just four years ago, no campaign would have considered having Youtube or MySpace accounts, let alone blogging, Twittering, being on Facebook and texting! But now you can hardly find a statewide or federal campaign without a New Media strategy. Even races for State Representative are getting in on the New Media craze.

By far the best example of new media use has been Barack Obama. His team hasn't just been tech savvy, they've been tech geniuses.

Between John McCain and Barack Obama, only Obama's campaign has an official Twitter account, his Facebook page has over 1 million supporters (to McCain's 200,000+) and he tantalized supporters, antagonists and the media with the promise of a text message of who his VP choice was before it got reported to the media (it would have worked too, had the information not been leaked early via the blogosphere once the Secret Service started guarding Joe Biden's residence).

I think we will see more and more campaigns at all levels using New Media to get their message out, fire up their supporters, and stay relevant and agile in the fast-paced whirl of election season.

Further, I think more organizations should leverage New Media to advance their goals in addition to traditional lobbying, and I think businesses and industries would be well served to use New Media to advance their public policy goals as well.

Don't let your candidate, organization, or business get left behind on this one!

My Interview With BizVoice Magazine

Back in July, I was interviewed along with a few others (Indianapolis Star columnist Matt Tully, Abdul Haki-Shabazz from Abdul in the Morning and Ft. Wayne blogger Jeff Pruitt) by BizVoice, the official magazine of the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce. It was a great time to spend with colleagues of all stripes talking politics and to give our views of what could or couldn't happen in the 2008 races.

In the wide-ranging interview, we were asked to give our thoughts, opinions and predictions on the upcoming general election. Due to the publication schedule, some of what I had to say in July seemed a bit dated by the September publication date. For example, our July discussion didn't take into consideration vice presidential choices or the events of the Republican and Democrat conventions, as it doubtless would have were the discussion held today. Still, our collective observations were generally astute and still hold quite of bit of water even in light of what has gone on nationally and statewide since this summer.

Definitely take the time to read the entire BizVoice political predictions article - I think you'll enjoy it! (Just to warn you, the link is a PDF file.)

I would also encourage you to check out the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Business Blog. It's very well done and has excerpts of the article that didn't make it into the final printing.

Sharp Increase in Business Use of Social Networking

Want to know just how important social networking is becoming in the modern business marketing strategy?

Via Mashable:

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research recently released the results on the usage of social media in the Inc. 500. Of note here, “Just over one quarter of the Inc. 500 reported social media was very important to their business/marketing strategy in 2007. That number has increased to 44% just one year later.”

Increasingly, we are seeing businesses and campaigns taking to social media such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter to attract new business and new voters as well as keeping customers and voters/supporters informed. I've written previously how Barack Obama has been stellar in his use of new media and social networking sites. As we're seeing, social networking is not just for political campaigns. There is a concerted effort by businesses to use social media and networking as a means of reaching out, not only by small businesses who are unable to afford a big budget marketing plan, but also as Fortune 500 companies see the benefits of investing in new media with their marketing dollars.

Want to make social networking part of your business or campaign strategy? Contact me to discuss the best strategy for you.

Lack of Technological Creativity Downfall of GOP?

Earlier this month Politico.com, one of my favorite websites for politics and news, ran piece called "Why the GOP fell so far, so fast". It was a hard and honest look at the Republican Party, which, as recently as 1994, was a force to be reckoned with and espoused values that a majority of Americans held. Fast forward to 2008 and the party looks radically different.

Politico listed five reasons why the GOP fell like it did. One of the explanations that really caught my eye (not that they all didn't) was reason number three:

Technology Glitches

One of the biggest reasons that it may take years for Republicans to steady their ship is that they have fallen way behind Democrats when it comes to exploiting new technologies to raise cash, especially online.

It is the Democrats who now are the innovators in this area. First Howard Dean and now Barack Obama have built massive programs for raising money, usually in small chunks, online. They have bigger e-mail lists and many times more donors familiar with sending money over the Web. They also have generally shown more sophistication in their online approach.

ActBlue, a Web hub for Democratic fundraising, has directed more than $60 million to candidates since 2004. Republicans don’t even have an equivalent.

The technology gap transcends fundraising, however. Democrats, in general, are embracing the Web more eagerly as a way to communicate — and gather — information. Daily Kos, a popular stop for Democratic officials and activists, has registered more than 1 billion page views in six years. Redstate.com, a similar kind of Web community for Republicans, has recorded fewer than 50 million.

Republicans often seem kind of retro. Talk radio remains a more powerful communications device for conservatives, with Rush Limbaugh maintaining a weekly audience of as many as 20 million. But the talk radio audience has slowed in growth over the past 15 years, and no one thinks it will be the dominant medium of the future.

While ActBlue is a sensational Political Action Committee (PAC) that Democrats developed years ago, the Republicans now also have an option with Slatecard, developed by Tech Republican founder, David All. Is Slatecard raising the coin to match Actblue? Hardly, but it shows that some Republicans are willing to move into a 21st century technology base that can reach potential donors candidate campaigns might not otherwise be able to tap.

Although all is not lost technologically for the Republican Party, there is still a long way to go. After being a grassroots powerhouse for years, the GOP urgently needs to feed and nurture the growing netroots that support their cause. They will find New Media to be a great tool towards candidate recruitment, fund raising and general messaging.

So far, only the messaging seems to be making a difference.

How Visible Is Your Site?

Have you ever wondered how effective your website or blog really is? If so, check out Website Grader by Hubspot. Website Grader gives you a detailed overview of where your site ranks in the vastness of the internet and helps you discover how to better optimize your presence to reach the maximum number of people with your product or message.

Website Grader is fairly easy to understand. The tool ranks your site on a scale of 0-100 by looking at readability, interior page analysis (it digs beyond your home page), your Google traffic rank, inbound links (those who are linking to you) and a host of other factors. The higher your score, the better your site is performing.

To give you an idea of where two of my clients rank, Hoosier Access scored an 87 out of 100 while Stop Governing Like This!, after less than a month of existence, scored an amazing 57 out of 100. The Website Grader rankings gave me a clearer sense of where the sites are working and where I might need to tweak a few things.

Curious about improving your website's visibility? Contact me!

Next Generation Radio

In addition to downloadable podcasts from iTunes, my client Hoosier Access broadcasts live interviews and commentary via a live stream on the internet. While these forums have been effective for us, I'd like to see more businesses, organizations, and campaigns move into next generation radio.

Using an internet capable phone (such as an iPhone or Blackberry) and plugging into their vehicle's dashboard, customers and constituents can easily listen to the internet instead of the radio. Your political, policy, small business, or industry-related podcast can thereby reach your target audience while they are in the car, and will catch and hold their interest wiht far more success than traditional radio advertising.

While it's wise to have your podcasts available for static download from your websites or iTunes, live streaming reports on issues relevant to your audience can strengthen your brand and engage your audience in a whole new way through next generation radio.