• by Shawn Kemp , Op-Ed Contributor, July 7, 2015

Media systems dependency theory, courtesy of Baran and Davis, tells us that the more a person depends on having their needs met by media, the more important it becomes and the more influence it will have in their life. This is significant in light of recent Pew Center research finding that 61% of Millennials and more than half of Gen Xers say they rely on Facebook for political news. 

Given the heavy dependency on social media for news, connectedness, and much more, it has the potential to play a significant role in wooing voters between the ages of 18 and 50. Baby Boomers, however, are more likely to rely on traditional media outlets like TV for their news, with only 39% citing Facebook as a primary news source, according to Pew. And this is where using social media to create a significant echo to reach less connected audiences comes in.

The Social Media Ricochet Effect

As with all marketing campaigns, creating a social media echo requires first defining the audience you are looking to reach. With a clear focus on who these voters are and what they care about, defining the key messages you want to resonate should flow easily. Ultimately, the goal is to unite people with the campaign through the process, so messaging and audiences should map together with this goal in mind.

Creating an echo should be part of well-rounded content strategy where personal value is delivered in a genuine voice. Messaging should not be only about selling the candidate, but also include valuable social proof that can be easily amplified via social and traditional media. For example, a crowded rally lends social proof that can be highlighted and amplified online, illustrating to a broad audience that the candidate has widespread support. 

With more politicians announcing their 2016 candidacies the volume of noise will certainly only grow. In addition to the Presidential contest, expect noise to come from the upcoming 34 Senate, 435 House, 12 gubernatorial and countless state and local elections races. Having an echo campaign designed to increase interest by promoting social proof helps cut through the noise as it acts as a reinforcing tool and serves to effectively remind voters why a candidate is so popular and why they deserve a voter’s support.

Analyze the Snowball Effect

Done right, highlighting social proof adds weight to a politician’s clout, helps create a snowball of support, and helps the echo get louder and louder. At every step, smart campaigns will use analytics to learn which messages resonate most and why. They will use this knowledge to double-down on winning strategies and tweak areas where they could be stronger. In doing so, they will expand their reach, creating a larger audience for the next wave. 

The focus here should not be on growing the number of followers but on growing the number of followers who take action and amplify the message. Everything from sharing campaign messages online to signing petitions of support help lend credence a campaign and should be explored to determine which actions best support campaign messages.

Ultimately, social media is more intimate than traditional one to many communication vehicles and allows politicians to create a connectedness between themselves and voters. This connection serves to further influence and enrich people’s experience with a candidate and their likeliness to participate in an echo campaign. Studies have found that the more a person looks to social media for information, the more likely they are to vote, which is great news for politicians looking to amplify specific messages through activated voters, creating a virtuous cycle of growing social proof that motivates additional voters to take action.