I don't always agree with my state senator Chuck Grassley. But for a couple of months I've been thinking that he does a very effective job of communicating with me via new media. As a constituent, this makes me feel — dare I say — close to my elected official. What is Senator Grassley doing that's so special? For starters he is an almost prolific user of Twitter. He updates just the perfect amount. Sometimes personal (We had 25 people at Christmas dinner at our New Hartford Farm) and sometimes professional (Came bk DC aftr holidays. Today meet w Gov Vilsack as new ag secy. His confirmation shld b easy) but never too much and the real kicker is I think it's really him Tweeting. Unlike others who farm out their Twitter stream I think the Senator is really writing these updates (either that or a very effective surrogate).But it doesn't stop there. Yesterday he voted against the stimulus package then immediately Tweeted his vote and told his followers to check his YouTube channel for why he voted the way he did (see the image clip above). He also blogs, publishes an email newsletter, and has a MySpace page. So he gets several forms of online media and is effectively linking them together to communicate efficiently and effectively with his constituency.
Take this to another level and consider that Senator Grassley is 75 years old. Not necessary the high tech millennial that most people envision when they think of the the typical web 2.0 user. Consider this — we live in a world where the Pope has a YouTube channel and the White House blogs.
Online media is quickly overtaking other traditional forms of staying in touch with those who want to hear from you. One can't simply respond to email any longer and call that good enough for online communications. You need to harness all high-traffic online outposts (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) and feed them relevant updates. Not only will your audience listen more but they will also share your messaging more with others. Whether you are a politician, church, or small business, this is where the conversation is moving.
Your audience is listening. How are you staying in touch?
1 comment:
What is the right amount of tweeting? Is there a right amount? I have some people I follow who tweet hourly and others that maybe tweet weekly. I know you can tweet too much, I have stopped following people because it seems they tweet every minute.
So then the question becomes-- what is the acceptable level to your followers that maintains your base and grows it? But at the same time doesn't alienate your core group?
Or maybe twitter is really one big social party. Where followers come and go depending on the discussion- like a party. We join groups, we leave groups, we create groups.
Post a Comment