use of new media in grassroots

As Presented to the Indiana Leadership Forum Class of 2011

By: Josh Gillespiewww.HoosierAccess.com

Use of New Media in Grassroots

Defining New Media*Connect or reconnect with new and old friends

*Twitter

*Facebook

*Blogging

*Find like minded people and join their causes*Flip the pillow over to the cool side of the pillow

*1 million who support Barack Obama

*1 million who support Sarah Palin

*Chris Faulkner Hair Fan Club

*Social media lets you find a place to belong

Social Media and Politics

*Spreading your message to a larger supportive audience

*On Facebook alone:

*500 million active users

*50% log in at any point in the day

*Average user has 130 friends

*People spend over 700 Billion minutes per month on Facebook

*Twitter has 145 million registered users

Social media allows you to connect with a larger and growing number of potential voters and constituents will to repeat your message and cause it to go viral.

Best Uses of Social MediaObama Presidential Campaign

*Community based my.barackobama.com

*State based pages

*Group based pages

*Email Marketing

*13 million email addresses

*Played two critical roles – messaging and mobilization

*Capitalized on “everyday” websites

*YouTube

* iTunes

*Facebook

*Flickr

Best Uses of Social Media

#DontGo Movement

*Named to encourage the House GOP to stay in session even though Speaker Pelosi turned the lights out and the cameras off

*Members of Congress used Twitter and streaming video (Qik.com) to get their message out. Held their own floor debates on the “All of the Above” approach to American Energy

*People following the action on twitter used the “hashtag” #dontgo to encourage members to stay in protest.

Best Uses of Social MediaIranian Green Revolution/Egyptian Revolts

*Because the media was controlled by the State, images of political brutality in Iran wasn’t covered. However, protesters used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to tell their story

*When the government shut down internet, protesters used their smart phone apps to communicate.

Where Are People Getting Their News?

* In March of 2010 a Pew Internet and American Life survey said that 61% of Americans get at least some of their news online

*92% get their news from more than one platform

*News is broken faster on twitter than in any other place

*Blogs are also a place for breaking news – even before typical news sites break stories

*People want a perceived unbiased take (or are at least comfortable with the bias they pursue)

Obama Style Online Grassroots

You too can run your own Obama style grassroots online campaign!

*The vast majority of social media sites are free

*Can you run a camera?

*Do you have a smart phone?

*Do you know someone eager to get involved?

*Get local and state bloggers on your side

*Access is the key ingredient to a healthy relationship

*Give them scoops or exclusive information

Where You Can Find Me

*josh@joshgillespie.net

*Twitter.com/joshgillespie

*Facebook.com/joshgillespie

*Youtube.com/thejoshgillespie

*Linkedin.com/joshuagillespie

*Joshgillespie.tumblr.com