Two cities, two mayors, two approaches
“People are talking about you on social networks and you need to be in on the conversation.” This should be the axiomatic approach to social media for all public figures (celebrities, business owners, candidates, etc.). Networks like Twitter and Facebook are the venues where Americans are having conversation about everything from national security to professional sports. Unlike the old gathering places like the barber shop or the local watering hole, people are letting you listen in and want you to be a part of the discussion. It’s Gossip 2.0.
The Internet is abuzz with the news that Newark, NJ mayor Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) — an active Twitter user with over 1 million followers – used the micro-blogging service to connect with a resident who needed help shoveling snow from his driveway on New Year’s Eve. There’s little doubt that the hands-on constituent service was a gimmick, but it was a good one.
What’s worth noting (and emulating) is that Mayor Booker spent time investing in the network. He’s posted over 1,900 tweets since he started in August of 2008 and he’s following over 21,000 other users. Mayor Booker is a part of the network. He actively participates and it’s clear that he’s the one doing the writing.
As a result of his dedication to the conversation, Mayor Booker developed an audience, and when Twitter user @BigSixxRaven needed help with city services, she engaged the mayor directly. It’s likely that @BigSixxRaven would have complained about the (perceived) inadequacy of city services whether Mayor Booker was an active Twitter user or not.
The difference is clear: @BigSixxRaven got a better response and the mayor got great coverage for being a good listener.
Contrast this with my own mayor – Adrian Fenty of Washington, D.C. Mayor Fenty doesn’t engage his constituents on social networks: he’s not even on Twitter and his re-election campaign’s Facebook page is used to re-gurgitate press hits. (The mayor does have a good photo album on the page of an event here in the District with none other than Cory Booker.)
Mayor Fenty is suffering from being late to the Facebook game. He has two fan pages: one is likely from a well-meaning supporter filling the void on behalf of Fenty. This page has 370 supporters, a link to a POLITICO article highlighting the mayor’s endorsement from the local Drag Queen community, and a campaign volunteer asking supporters to join the “official” page on every post.
Fenty’s base of support on Facebook is now divided between the 370 supporters on the unofficial page and the 612 supporters on the official one. Your voters want to support you on social networks. The average Facebook user becomes a fan of two pages a month. You need to provide them with a place to go so you can leverage the community’s support. Mayor Fenty has 370 supporters in his unofficial group, but he’s unable to engage them.
What about Twitter, where Fenty isn’t active at all? The case is even worse. A hilarious parody account known as @FentyDC interacts with Twittering city council members and journalists. A popular theme of this clever humorist is taking digs at the mayor’s refined image: “First step in shedding this ‘elitist’ image-change moisturizer from lavender to unscented” and his passion for exercising: “Ran 7 miles in 49:05 today…backwards!!”. @FentyDC even gives a nod to shoveling snow: “Sorry I’ve been quiet. I’ve committed to personally shoveling 32 miles of sidewalks. I can do it!!”
All in all, the self-deprecating Fenty account is pretty harmless, but wouldn’t the mayor like to know when the joke’s on him? Wouldn’t it be better if Twitter users interested in Mayor Fenty had a place to go?
Things get worse when someone like @NotFenty steps into the breach. This anonymous Twitterer is overtly hostile to Mayor Fenty (his motto is “Who should be elected Mayor of the District of Columbia? Not Fenty.”). Mayor Fenty doesn’t have an adequate response to any of the charges levied against him – he’s not even in on the conversation. Is @NotFenty going to do irreparable harm to the mayor’s bid for re-election? Not likely.
Even though the absence from Twitter isn’t going to be catastrophic for Fenty, he’s still missing lots of great opportunities. He’s never going to get a story like his friend Cory Booker in Newark, and he even risks seeing a City Paper or DCist blog post about the proliferation of faux-Fenty Twitter accounts.
Ultimately, Mayor Fenty may not be as good at writing tweets as Mayor Booker. Maybe he’s focusing on other avenues of conversation, but it’s important to have someone from his organization in on the discussion. Are your voters or constituents talking about you on social networks? Do you know what they’re saying? If they’re asking questions, who’s answering them? If they’re complaining, who’s responding?
You can follow me on Twitter @ericwilson but I will never shovel your driveway.
