Campaign like Obama - and see him sworn in
- Wed, December 31 2008
- Filed under: Social networking and web 2.0
As I’ve said in this space before, there are two secrets to campaigning like Obama—a one-two punch of audience connection and infrastructure to serve the audience.
1. Audience appeal: directly appealing to the personal concerns of your audience
2. Infrastructure: putting the human and technological engines behind your audience via community-based organizations and via online engagement.
There are quite a few examples of organizations working to build off this approach - and keep the country engaged going forward.
Change.org is pursuing this approach on its revamped site here.
The Case Foundation is also taking this approach with a new campaign called “Change Begins With Me,” which calls for citizens across the nation to visit the Case Foundation’s website and make a personal pledge to “be the change” in 2009. By finishing the sentence, “Change begins with me–” individuals can share their commitments to change their neighborhood, community or the world in 2009. According to Case, one lucky citizen (and guest) will be randomly selected to attend the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama and related Inaugural festivities here in DC. And, in the spirit of giving and active civic engagement, this person will also participate in the Washington, DC Martin Luther King Day of Service.
So now you can campaign like Obama - and enter a lottery to see him sworn in.
I’ll now share how to NOT campaign like Obama and completely bungle all things social media.
Read the horrific superlist of social media blunders of the year here.
Comments
Katya:
With so many good examples out there—Obama’s being the granddaddy of them all—of how to engage an audience with your cause, it still amazes me that so many other cause-related organizations can’t find a way to take their cause online, into peoples’ homes, and into their daily lives.
Obama’s magic was authenticity, transparency, a genuine belief in the ability of others to make change happen, and a consistent SPECIFIC call to action. Even after his election, this approach is still drawing people into doing things. Just last night our friends held one of this Healthcare Community Discussion Groups—yet another grassroots call-to-change action Obama suggests people can do.
Just think what might happen if the good causes out there would adopt similar approaches with equally similar authenticity. What an amazing force for good that might be mustered and organized if these causes would just invite people into making their own conversations.
—David Kinard
Thanks for your great comment, David. I could not agree more.
I agree also David.
All great catalyst for change always seem to take the road less traveled. Not because it’s out of the way but only because change takes focus and energy.
Nice post to start the New Year 2009!
Scott, focus plus energy: a good mood to start the year. Thanks!