This presentation was created for students in the Political Communication class at Oklahoma Baptist University

1. TWEET &
WIN?
HOLLY EDGELL, WCPO @HOLLYEDGELL
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SEPT. 2014

2. BIG MONEY, MORE
VOTERS
Candidates spent $6 billion in the 2012 campaigns and there
was an eight million person increase in eligible voters.

3. NEVERTHELESS…
• In 2012, only 57.5 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot
• In 2008, 62.3 percent of eligible citizens voted
• In 2004, 60.4 percent of eligible citizens voted

4. YOUNG VOTERS
Youth voter turnout rates also declined from 2008 to 2012,
According US Census Bureau, the turnout rate among 18-to 24-
year olds fell:
• From 48.5 percent in 2008 to 41.2 percent in 2012

5. THE DIGITAL FACTOR

6. SOCIAL MEDIA
“Like JFK was the first president who really understood television,
Obama is the first social media president.
In 2012, Obama not only had the expertise on his team, he had
an established social media machine up and running (from 2008).
While the Romney campaign was not left in the dust as McCain’s
had been, they did not achieve the traction that the Democrats
did.”

7. TWEETING TO WIN
@BarackObama
• 46 million followers
• See the world’s top Twitter accounts
• Run by Organizing for Action

8. BEING WHERE THE
CONVERSATION IS
HAPPENING
Organizing for Action & Barack Obama
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Google+

9. SOCIAL SUCCESS
“The real power of social media is not in the number of posts or
Tweets but in user engagement measured by content
spreadability.”
• Obama logged twice as many Facebook “Likes” and nearly 20
times as many re-tweets as Romney.
WHAT MAKES YOU “LIKE,” ‘SHARE” OR “RETWEET?”

10. GAME-CHANGER
“Social media takes the power of political messaging away from
the mass media model and places it firmly into peer-to-peer,
public discourse.”
• Individuals have the power to make a difference
• Obama’s team tapped into this sense of empowerment
• Social media, text messages make political involvement feel
personal

11. TWITTER &
GOVERNMENT
Twitter provides resources and information for politicians
who want to up their game
• Twitter for Government

12. OKLAHOMA POLITICIANS
WHO TWEET
Full list