Social Networking is why Obama will win the race
The Rant
Well, OK that plus the fact that Bush pretty much handed the democrats the presidency three years ago.
But war, economy, secrecy, sketchy leadership and poor decision making aside. Obama is slaughtering the competition because he understands the importance of web 2.0.
And the Grand Old Party is going to be exactly that unless they catch up! With social networking what it is today, it is possible to run for president using the internet alone. A tempting enticement to a power hungry media mogul.
Obama has branded his image and plastered it across every imaginable social network out there. of course McCain’s people are trying to do the same thing, but frankly, when your guy says he doesn’t understand the internet, well let’s just say if he had shot himself in the foot fifty years ago he wouldn’t have been a POW.
The Illustration
Seriously, we all need to take a lesson from both candidates here. I am active on the internet and in most social networks. Because of this I see Obama all the time. He is in front of me. This is free advertising, and I am getting his image in my mind. I can almost see him in my sleep because he is so “present” in the social networking scene. Keep in mind, I have not added him as a friend in any of these applications. (If I did I don’t have any recollection of that fact.)
Now lets turn to McCain. The guy is a relic. And my generation knows it because he isn’t where he is supposed to be. He is supposed to be digging, mixxing, and stumbling on stuff. Instead he is on fox news (NOTE: the previous link is to a better resource than the outdated media empire) being discussed by other guys I don’t have time to watch because I get my information from the internet, which McCain doesn’t understand.
Let this screen shot from facebook illustrate the reality of Obama’s presence as opposed to McCain’s.
The Application
The logical question is which of these do you wish to emulate in your marketing? Do you want to be seen in as many places as you can, or do you want to be disparaged because you don’t think the internet is worth your while.
What is your brand? Do people recognize it? Are you putting yourself in front of your clients, voters, customers? Or are you allowing your absence to speak for itself?
You bring up some good points about BHO “knowing the Web” vs. McCain who doesn’t “understand the Internet.”
While your assumptions may hold true on who will win, you’re missing a huge piece of the puzzle. A very large portion of the voting age population does not use any type of social media, nor do they see any need to.
The majority of people over the age of 40 have no idea what a Facebook is or why they would want one. Twitter? Sounds like a funny dance. E-Mail is about as technologically forward as they get.
Even when I talk to many of my peers (I still have a three in my age), many have no idea what is out there beyond their own walls.
Will the 5% (just a guess) of early adopters, bloggers, and Internet marketers be able to carry BHO? Only time will tell. One thing is certain, those of us in “the business” need to look outside our walls and realize there is a world beyond our computer screen where others exist.
Christopher,
That is certainly fair, (and dead on no doubt) but what is now happening is that the powerful minority (early adopters, bloggers and marketers) have decided they like Barak. Now those people have actually set out to sabotage McCain using SEO tactics to drive searches for John McCain to sites that actually disparage him. (think “miserable failure”)
And those people who don’t really understand that will search google, and boom all they see is bad stuff. Its the plan anyway, we will see how it goes.
But still you are certainly right. But this was mostly about Social network Marketing and much less about the race
Still fun though, thanks for your thoughts!
All of the marketing in the world can’t disguise the fact that Obama is a Marxist, and that when the debates get rolling he is going to get creamed. He can’t speak in impromptu situations and has yet to elucidate what he really believes in.