Normally my blog is reserved for marketing information - tips, useful marketing software, Google trends, personal experiences with weight on the subject, etc. But let me say this, marketing isn't just for products, it's also for people. Every four years we get a few unique individuals who think they are the best person to run our country (the United States if there are any outside readers), and they have to get their message out. How do you get your story out to 200,000,000 voting Americans? You need a good team to market yourself and organize locally. Before I go any further, I will say we do these projects, too; but that is not the purpose of my writing today.
Marketing is more important in politics today than it has ever been. When America was formed, communication was still in it's infancy and reaching voters was difficult. In today's political environment, communication is spread easily throughout the populous using our many channels of media. TV and radio ads are still popular, but the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in this. To not get your message out to all interested parties, not just the ones that already like you, can be potentially fatal.
Take President Barak Obama for example. He is widely recognized as a great communicator. He entered the office with some of the highest approval ratings ever seen, yet dropped below 50% approval faster than any president in history. Why? While campaigning, Obama frequented every media channel available, even those that ask tougher questions, allowing him to sell his ideas to people otherwise not likely to vote for him. The result was a landslide victory. Now the Obama administration is at war with Fox News, claiming they are not a real news station - never mind their ratings are #1 in cable news (let's also not forget most Americans get their news from Jon Stewart's Daily Show, tell me that's not entertainment!). When congress was debating healthcare, CNN was covering Chris Brown and Rianna. The administration turns this around and says Fox is not covering the big stories, and frankly I'm baffled. When polled, the typical American will say their top concerns are the economy, immigration, Iran and Afghanistan (or national security), taxes, healthcare, ethics in politics, etc. Fox is the only network to cover all of these things, bringing on both Democrats and Republicans to debate both sides. Other networks (that give the white house the favorable coverage they want) will cover trivial issues ignoring what people are really interested in, or offer just one side of the story. This can be seen in the healthcare town hall debates - Americans are pissed and only one station covered it!
When marketing yourself to the public, you cannot avoid negative press. If you do not counter arguments that you claim are untrue, than you appear to be weak or lying or both. When one news medium gives you negative press, but invites you on to talk about - TALK ABOUT IT! This is the only way to rebuild credibility. The Obama administration has taken the run and hide approach to Fox News, stating they won't go on their shows until they get favorable coverage. This appears weak and validates your opposition. This is one of those appropriate times to throw in the age old anecdote - there's no such thing as negative publicity. By taking your opposition head on, sure, some will remain opposition, but at least those that are still on the fence can be swayed. With Obama's juvenile approach to Fox News, he has allowed himself to become an untrustworthy villain to any Fox News fans, while at least arguing your point will help you appear like you care what ALL Americans think, not just the ones that already like you. When Obama visited every Sunday morning news show except Chris Wallace's on Fox, he alienates popular supporters such as minority, Democrat Fox contributor Juan Williams of National Public Radio.
I approached this subject after viewing a YouTube posting by Scott Rosenburg, owner of salon.com (who's site I will not credit with a link.) While I agree with most of what he says regarding blogs, I don't support his Berkeley California approach to broadcasting news. He features articles slandering Libertarian Glenn Beck, the front page says it's OK for rogue nations to have nuclear weapons, and lot's of other left wing moronic ideology with no conflicting points of view. While totally off subject, I will state that fellow Libertarian Glenn Beck can be a little off the wall sometimes, but no one bothers to discredit his theories that liberals claim are conspiracy theories. If they are easily disproven, DISPROVE THEM! Simple as that!
I guess what I'm trying to say is, use ALL media available to you when in the public eye, not just the media you agree with. That can be the difference between a 70% approval rating and a 49%. If you are planning a political move - running for office, lobbying a particular issue, getting out the vote, or just fund raising - we can help with getting your message out to the widest possible audience online. And if you really want to show some backbone, don't shy away from those that disagree or are undecided on your important issues - a little Internet marketing can put them in your corner. It's a good idea to incorporate a blog to any Internet marketing strategy to open up a two way dialogue, not just with your supporters, but also to your critics so that truly unbiased coverage can be presented to the public. Abandoning partisan strategy and talking with Republicans, Democrats, Independents and 3rd party citizens will add legitimacy to you as a person and get your message to ALL interested parties, not just those who already supported you. It's also important to remember that if news were not entertaining, nobody would watch it - so discount news programs that also have entertainment value, late night shows have long been a great source of approval ratings.
Mark Rogers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.