How To Tweet
Posted in Running for Office on January 8th, 2010 by Robin Marty – 1 CommentI’ve had this article saved for a very long time. In light of the recent “twittergate” coverage in the special election in Minnesota, it seemed like now is the time to bring it out. Many, many politicians are attempting to use twitter as a campaign tool — as they should. But the following are things to watch out for (via Jordan Raynor and Elect Women) :
Only using Twitter for “the ask.” I get it – at the end of the day social media means nothing to your candidate unless it raises them more money. And while I sharply disagree with that philosophy, I understand that’s the conversation going on in most campaigns. But just as in offline fundraising, to raise the most money online a relationship must first be built. Obama New Media Director Joe Rospars has said, if you have 10 emails, it is the 8 emails that don’t ask for money that lay the groundwork for the two that are. The same rule should be applied to Twitter.
Using Twitter as another press release distribution service. First off, the press release is dead for political campaigns. Instead of using press release corporate speak, listen to the way people communicate on Twitter and adapt the way you communicate your message directly to your supporters.
Not listening. Most politicians see Twitter as a one-way channel to push content out to. The good tweeting politicians see Twitter as a chance to gain valuable feedback from voters. Politicians who are not listening to what the Twitterverse is saying about issues important to them are missing out on a huge opportunity. Twitter can and should be used to test and tweak your campaign’s message. Listen and consider engaging with an @reply to a voter once in a while.
Forgetting that you are human. The point of social media is that it is, well, social. Learn how to take off your online tie and show that you are a human being. Yes, this means sometimes tweeting about your personal life! Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill said it best when she said, “It’s important for my constituents to know that I do my own laundry.”
Sending your followers on a treasure hunt. Twitter is a great way to drive traffic to stories, videos, donation pages, etc… but make sure you are linking directly to the content you want your followers to see. If the content you want your followers to see is not on your homepage, don’t tweet a link to your homepage and force your followers to dig through your site to find what you want them to find. The key to success on the web is eliminating friction and that’s an important value to remember when linking to content via Twitter.
Lying (or hiding) who is actually tweeting for you. In an ideal scenario (mostly for the potentially disastrous entertainment value) all politicians would personally tweet, but it is widely understood that the majority do not. A bigger mistake than not personally tweeting though is lying about it. If your staff tweets for you, make that clear. You don’t want to be giving an interview on CNN and have a staff member send out a tweet, supposedly from you, at the very same moment. It is not difficult to know who is genuine and who is not on Twitter and other social platforms.
Tweeting your favorite quotes from historical figures just because you have nothing to say. If you don’t have anything valuable to say, say nothing at all. An occasional quote from George Washington is inspiring, but your followers would much rather hear something you may think is mundane (such as the fact that you are walking your dog) than you proving that you are an inspirational-quote-buff.
Of course, the deadliest of all sins has been left off — NEVER DELETE YOUR TWEETS! Always remember the internet has a memory. If you are doing it well, hundreds to thousands of people are watching you. Assume someone has always gotten a screen grab. Those who like you will sit on it and laugh about it a little (in fact, I have a funny deleted tweet from a politician that I still have saved just for fun). Those who don’t will use it against you. And if you do delete, explain why. Twitter is an open, transparent platform. Everyone makes mistakes, and covering them up only compounds them.
And some examples of excellent female candidates using twitter well for their campaigns:
