Social Marketing Lessons from Presidential Candidates

One of the most interesting phenomena in the 2016 election cycle is the use of social marketing by presidential candidates. Even though Donald Trump may be getting most of the media coverage during cycle, realistically all of the 2016 presidential candidates are experts in building their personal brand. The candidates can provide a number of useful lessons for all of us in how to build our personal brand. Below are some of the main strategies which can be utilized to build an individual’s or organization’s brand.

Lesson 1: Get Out in Front of Your Message (Bernie Sanders)

In 2012, a Pew Research Center survey found that 60% of Americans harbor a negative view of socialism. More recently, a Gallup poll found that less than 50% of Americans would vote for a socialist candidate. Bernie Sanders did not let these numbers stop him. Instead, in 2015, prior to announcing his presidential run, Sanders explained what “democratic socialism” meant to him to a crowd at Georgetown.  Sanders’ proactive outreach allowed Sanders to define exactly what he stood for, preventing others from defining it for him. Getting out in front of the message allows organizations to establish their point of view and can spark conversation. It is also crucial get out in front of the message during a social media crisis which cost companies millions of dollars a year.

Lesson 2: Ruffle Some Feathers (Donald Trump)

Donald Trump is very opinionated and isn’t afraid to share some of those opinions with us. Consequently, he has been able to capture the attention of very large crowd and gain a ton of free media. In fact, studies show that Trump has dominated 32% of election coverage in 2015. If companies want to steal some of their competitors’ attention, they do not have to be as contentious as Trump, but do need to take a stance. Consumers want to know who you are and where you stand. Using social media is a great way to test messages and gauge the crowds’ response.

Lesson 3: Read the Room (Hillary Clinton)

After decades of politics, Hillary Clinton knows how to read her audience.  Whether debating, delivering a speech, or sending out a Snapchat, Clinton knows how to cater to her crowd. Companies’ brand strategies should be equally as flexible. For instance, Snapchat users want quickly disappearing micro content; while Facebook users want 50-word-or-less brand updates.  What’s more, Facebook updates that link to articles between 1,000 and 3,000 words spark the most conversation on Facebook. This is all to say, when using social media to improve your brand, there is power in catering to your audience and knowing what to say and how to say it.

Politics aside, brand marketers can learn from each of the above three candidates and can apply the tactics above to their marketing strategies.