With the 2012 presidential race expected to cost campaigns a combined $6 billion, media outlets are all fighting for a piece of the pie—and that now includes Twitter.
Promoted tweets could become a more powerful tool in the coming months as the primary, and then general election, drags on and unfolds on social media. Unlike a normal tweet, promoted ones are purchased like advertisements and appear whenever someone searches a keyword. For example, when the first rumblings of sexual misconduct were launched at former candidate Herman Cain, the campaign promoted a tweet denying the story. Cain used promoted tweets even more toward the end of his run for the White House.
Promoted political tweets were first made available earlier this fall and since then both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney also have turned to the service.
Promoted online advertisement is nothing new: Google has long allowed people to purchase space on page results for certain key words. But the promoted tweets are different. Mindy Finn, a member of Twitter’s political sales team, recently told Ad Age that unlike the Google advertisements, a promoted tweet is instant and more direct. So far the campaigns that have used it have embraced it, but not all campaigns are interested.
Zach Green of 140elect.com, a social media and political firm that is currently heading up the Twitter campaign of long shot Buddy Roemer, said financial constraints are preventing some candidates from using it. Green also said that his firm, and candidates, have preferred a more “organic” or grassroots Twitter campaign, but he did have recommendations on more optimal campaign tweeting.
He recommended promoting tweets by using what’s called location: purchasing promoted tweets in certain areas, rather than the whole country. That could come in handy during more regional events, such as the Iowa caucus or New Hampshire primary. Green recommended that campaigns find Twitter users by region. By noting what politicians the users mention the most, a campaign could figure out what part of the county they are from and then put that user in a designated list corresponding to that area.
Photo by Gage Skidmore
