‘Big Obama Head’ Tshirt by STOLEN - http://www.merchline.com/stolengoodies/categorydisplay.3118.c.htm
The Obama Way
using online social networks to promote your
cause, empower supporters and raise funds
kevin lim // cyberculturalist // 22nd April 2009

“[...] when powerful technologies merge, new media become
available, and people appropriate those media and make things
from them,” says Howard Rheingold (2002)

\"Communications tools don't get socially interesting until
they get technologically boring,\" says Clay Shirky (2008)

As we get increasingly
networked, “rest of us”
become exponentially
empowered

What can
we learn?

How Obama did for the 2008 Election
• 8.5 million more ballots cast; 200 more
electoral votes than Senator McCain
• Social networks, e-mail advocacy, text
messaging, online video
• Converted everyday people into engaged
and empowered volunteers
• Obama is now the first president to
govern with BlackBerry in hand…
13 million advocates at his fingertips
“Barack Obama’s Social Media Toolkit” by Monte Lutz (Feb 2009)
http://www.slideshare.net/montelutz/social-pulpit-barack-obamas-social-media-toolkit

“How Obama Reinvented Campaign Finance” by XPLANE™ • http://www.xplane.com/obama

“How Obama Reinvented Campaign Finance” by XPLANE™ • http://www.xplane.com/obama

In 2004, Howard Dean’s campaign was among the first to
harness the Internet for political fundraising.
Internet Revolutionizes Campaign Fundraising: Successful fundraising efforts appeal to average people online (July 10, 2008)
http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-english/2008/July/20080710130812mlenuhret0.6269953.html

“How Obama Reinvented Campaign Finance” by XPLANE™ • http://www.xplane.com/obama

Fast Company: The Kid Who Made Obama President (April 2009)
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/boy-wonder.html

Some ideas
take a life
of their own

they go viral

user
generated
content

obama by BohPhoto Change Has Come to America by Tony the Misfit
No. of “Obama” photos on
Flickr.com = 660,315
A Vision for America by Tony the Misfit Jan08 378 by Lord Jim

No. of “Obama” videos on
Youtube.com = 495,000

14K gold Obama YES WE CAN
pendant by strandbyme
Obama Rocks print by toastmania
No. of handmade “Obama”
items on Etsy.com = 2774
peth
Barack Obama painting by Robin Huds
Obama Inspired Lim
ited Edition
BATMOBAMA and R
OBIDEN Giclee Prin
ts
by PaulyPants
Obama NEW ERA T-shirt
Obama Necklace DESIGNER
by 57thirtythree
by LePhotique

Social web
can be a force
multiplier

but it’s not
that simple

Barack Obama’s disputed MySpace page
http://www.epolitics.com/2007/05/02/ugly-scene-follows-obama-takeover-of-volunteer-run-myspace-site/

http://www.briansolis.com/2008/08/introducing-conversation-prism.html

Where do
I start?

Should I be
blogging,
tweeting,
youtubing,
facebooking,
blah-blah-ing?

Amy Jo Kim’s Community Building on the Web (Peachpit, 2000)

Ladder of citizen participation
Arnstein, Sherry R. \"A Ladder of Citizen Participation,\" JAIP, Vol. 35, No. 4, July 1969
http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-arnstein/ladder-of-citizen-participation.html

Social Technographics Ladder
Social Technographics Ladder from Groundswell, Forrester Research (2008)
http://blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/2007/04/forresters_new_.html

Tiers of Social Media Engagement
Recruit others to donate
ADVOCATE Create a group
Host an event
Post pictures/videos
SOCIAL Write a blog post
Join a group
Create a profile
Post a comment
PERSONAL
Make a donation
Sign up for e-mail/SMS
Friend on social networks
“Barack Obama’s Social Media Toolkit” by Monte Lutz (Feb 2009)
http://www.slideshare.net/montelutz/social-pulpit-barack-obamas-social-media-toolkit

Obama’s Social Media Campaign
sibility
Acces
Share-ability
PERSONAL
SOCIAL
Empowerment
ADVOCATE

Obama’s Social Media Campaign
ssibility
Acce
PERSONAL
• go where
people are
• multiple
touchpoints
• ease of
donation

Obama’s Social Media Campaign
Share-ability
SOCIAL
• visible
affiliation
• collectable
• remixable
media

Obama’s Social Media Campaign
Empowerment
ADVOCATE
• activism tools
• mobile alerts
• ease of
volunteering

take aways
Murph: Do I look big in this? by Murph & Billy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/murph_billy/2303750974/

social media
is not “be
all end all”

controls
get handed
to fans

fans feel a
sense of
ownership

balance
risk with
rewards

Thank You.
Reach me on twitter at @brainopera

Questions

How often should we
communicate with our
supporters through
Twitter, and Facebook?

Who in my small shop
should manage our
social networking
accounts? Volunteer?

What should my
organization's
Facebook fan page
really look like?

Do you see social web
being over-populated
with cause related
marketing?

Will I \"turn off\"
traditional donors
with all this hype
about social media?

How do I overcome a
bad remark about our
organization through
the social web?