Using a location-based social network like Foursquare seems like an obvious part of a political candidate’s social media presence. Like Facebook, it’s an unobtrusive way to keep supporters updated and involved with the campaign without them having to actively seek out information on the campaign in their already-busy lives. Candidates already use their Facebook and Twitter accounts to tell supporters about their events. So why aren’t more of them using Foursquare or other location-based apps?
Of the seven leading Republican presidential candidates, only four have Foursquare accounts. It’s possible the other candidates have Foursquare accounts, but if they do, they haven’t linked them to their Twitter or Facebook accounts, making it very difficult for their existing social media fan base to find them on the network.
A quick glance at the accounts of the presidential candidates who are on Foursquare shows that none of them have really embraced the platform:
- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich leads the pack in terms of followers (2,558), but hasn’t checked-in anywhere in the past few months.
- Current it-boy Herman Cain comes in second in terms of followers (1,770), but also hasn’t checked-in in recent months.
- Romney’s follower count places him in third (1,689), but he leads the group in terms of check-ins with 5 since September 7.
- Rick Perry comes in fourth for followers (625) and second for check-ins (3 since September 1).
But campaigns must face the numbers. Foursquare and other location-based apps are only used by 4% of the general population. Should campaigns even bother? Here’s a few things to consider:
- While data on Foursquare specifically is not available, social media users tend to be more politically active — (i.e., donating to campaigns, talking about politics, voting, etc) — than the general population
- Mobile users tend to be wealthier and better educated than the general population — two groups that are likely to vote
- …and 12% of smartphone users use a location-based social app.
Checking-in at campaign events could be especially useful for Cain and Gingrich, who’ve faced criticism that they don’t campaign enough. Campaigns could also send (selected) updates to Facebook or Twitter depending on the event. For example, cross-posting “Mitt Romney is at the Fox News/Google Debate” to Facebook 15 minutes before the debate starts is more natural than the standard “Mitt Romney will be at the Fox News/Google Debate tonight, tune in at 8 and like this post if you’ll be watching!” But campaigns must post check-ins to Facebook and Twitter sparingly — everyone has that friend that posts every check-in to their other social networks, and the last thing a candidate wants (or should) do is spam their followers.
What other social networks or apps do you think could be beneficial for political candidates to connect with their supporters? Leave your thoughts as a comment below:
