Exitlog | Leaving Impressions

Social networking the Presidency…

Yesterday Barack Obama, US Senator and Presidential Candidate, did something quite surprising to many, he asked a question on the popular business/social networking site Linked In: How can the next president better help small business and entrepreneurs thrive?

Many answered his question honestly, some with greater interest, others with some condemnation. And there have been numerous posts questioning the connection and LinkedIn’s implied support of Senator Barack Obama’s campaign. Ignoring the illegitimacy of the account’s identity, whether it is Mr Obama or some press aide, the decision to use the site as a forum for debate is an shrewd move.

Earlier this week I attended an event, The Impact of Socialised Media, and it was put to the audience that only 1% of users publish online in blogs and forums with any regularity. Another 9% do so from time to time while the remaining 90% are passive users, content to read, research, shop and be entertained. Conservatively this 10% of posts represent a lot of influence.

The forum answers run pages and pages (over 40 when last counted), with a great many of them thoughtful and considered. Whether these persuaders and opinionated users are convinced remains to be seen. Mr Obama does also have a campaign message on YouTube. Some how the quality of the responses there aren’t as high as those on LinkedIn.

Last year I suggested that online “opinions are manipulated at the speed of a mouse click.” The less cynical side would hope this represents the democratisation of the web (even if the phrase is a bit overused). All the same, PR has gone 2.0.

And, I was surprised to be just 3 connections away from Mr Obama. Hmmm…