Over a year after leaving the Oval Office, President George W. Bush has launched a Facebook Fan Page. Mr. Bush’s appearance on Facebook piqued my curiosity, leading me to drop by his Fan Page to see what he’s doing and to look in on what other top politicians are doing on this social networking site.
Why look at politicians at all? Learning what they do on Facebook and show businesses how to succed on Facebook. Politicians during an election year engage in a high-stakes marketing campaign. The product they sell is their own person and there is only one in inventory-if they can’t sell themselves they lose. Politicians are also well-known for crafting their image and wanting only positive public opinion to maintain that image. So, what do they expose on Facebook and how do they interact with Fans on their fan pages? What can they teach us about engaging a following on a Fan Page?
Al Gore: You may be under the impression that the ex-Vice President is going to be personal and accessible on Facebook, after all his account is set up as just plain ol’ Al Gore, none of that high-brow stuff of using his full birth name Albert Arnold Gore Jr. There’s no mention of the Nobel Prize. The purpose of his Fan Page appears to promote environmental issues: his Info tab has only sparse information and links lead to his personal webpage and TheClimateChangeProject.org. Al and Tipper announced their separation on June 1, 2010 and on June 2 Tipper was still listed as one of his main interests on his Info tab. There are plenty of well wishes from concerned fans, hoping Al and Tipper find happiness, but there is no post from Gore. Despite developing news everyday about the largest oil spill in US history that threatens the Gulf Coast, Gore has broken his pattern of frequent posts and hasn’t updated his Facebook account for over two weeks. Strategy: Stick to the environment and don’t share too much personal information. Appears to be taking a break from updates.
Barack Obama: The lines blur a bit around Obama-there are two Facebook pages that post Mr. Obama’s activities. Barack Obama has posts and Notes that date back to before the 2008 Presidential Election. His Info tab is as complete as any high school junior with his favorite films, music, etc. The second Fan Page that chronicles The President is The White House page. Both of these pages are exceptionally up-to-date with daily posts of appearances and issues and even recent photos of his trip to Louisiana to view the affects of the BP oil spill. Mr. Obama appears to be the first President to truly building his presidency and legacy online, but the fans who found him on Facebook during the campaign already knew that. Strategy: Committed to everyday posts and using all features.
John Edwards: It’s obvious from the first glance that Edwards fan page was launched strictly as a campaign strategy. His current status is listed as running for President. The last post was in February 2008 about the time he pulled out of the campaign. His Info tab still states his marriage to Elizabeth Edwards and mentions his four children, ignoring the fifth child born out of the extra-marital scandal that became public in 2009. This is for all purposes a dead Fan Page-what’s mystifying is that there are over 17,000 people who are still “fans”. Why stay a fan of a Fan Page where nothing is going on? Strategy: Used Facebook for the short term goal during campaign. No commitment seen to using Facebook to maintain a public profile and manage a public image.
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Ms. Clinton doesn’t have a Fan Page, only a Community Page on Facebook is a bit like an encyclopedia article chronicling her life and achievements. Neither Ms. Clinton nor her staff post comments on the page. Strategy: No Facebook involvement and Facebook presence is managed by others on her Community Page.
George W. Bush No matter how you feel about the former president or what you think about his policies, you have to give a nod to his ability to collect over 35,000 “likes” to his Fan Page in less than 24 hours. His page is simple, no flourish of Facebook apps and his Info tab reveals only the link to the Bush Center (his presidential library) and also an Info box that states he attended Harvard and Yale. His boxes link to his up-coming book and fundraising for Haiti as well as fundraising for other organizations. Strategy: Promote his book and causes.
Who makes the best use of Facebook? The Fan Page that is so out of date it just isn’t even a contender is John Edwards. Al Gore’s page scores well due to his focus and using his environmental credentials to create a page that is informative and connects with people who are concerned with the environment. The super nova of Fan Pages is President Obama: 8 million fans, frequent updates, and lots of information for the presidentially-curious.
You don’t have to be a battle for office or creating an online legacy to succeed at Facebook: Start your Fan Page to connect with people of similar interests and show your dedication by updating frequently.
