4 TIPS FOR CAMPAIGNS USING FACEBOOK
Jamaal Digital Davis
Human-Centered AI Product Manager & Inclusive Service Designer | Championing Fairness, Accessibility, and Equitable Experiences
TIP #1: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
More than 40% of Americans use Facebook on a daily basis – and the site’s fastest-growing demographic is women over 55. YOUR Facebook fans, however, will be made up mostly of:
- Opponent’s staff
- Media (traditional print and broadcast along with digital)
- Highly engaged supporters
- Very few, if any, undecided voters
Your audience will include both people who “like” your page and their Facebook friends (friends of friends).
TIP #2: BUILD A COMPELLING PROFILE
Pick a sharp cover photo and profile photo to put a bright, confident face on and truly reflects the campaign. Only include on your Facebook timeline past events and biographical dates that support your campaign narrative – do NOT put your entire life history. “Like” other pages that help tell your story and reflect your message – for example, a candidate running on environmental issues might “like” the Sierra Club’s page – a bonus to fortifying your message is that other Sierra Club fans will also see your page. But be thoughtful, because your “likes” can also be used against you.
TIP #3: A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Facebook pushes posts with images and links higher on news feeds, making them more likely to be seen by more of your followers than text-only posts. You can use programs like PowerPoint (or Photoshop for more advanced users) to add text and graphics to pictures to create a compelling image, which will be more likely to be liked and shared. More than 75% of Facebook users access the site through mobile gadgets like tablets and smartphones, so make sure fonts are large and legible.
TIP #4: FOCUS ON CONTENT
Use Facebook to tell stories about the candidate/organization – what s/he believes in and is fighting for – and about the campaign experience. o Post photos of the candidate meeting with the community, or thoughts about current events – not press releases. Keep content varied – a picture followed by a news story followed by a rally announcement, for example – to keep folks interested in developing your page over time. Content should always be current and brief; no one will care about a post about an event that happened a week ago, and no one will read an essay.