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Candidates add Twitter to their campaignsJan 23, 2010 (Columbia Daily Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- To tweet or not to tweet -- that is the question. Perhaps the biggest wake-up call to the power of new media was Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Obama tapped into virtually every electronic medium to reach prospective voters, toting his BlackBerry like the Holy Grail of modern mass communication. The stakes aren't as high for a dozen Columbia residents vying for unpaid positions on the Columbia City Council. But that's not to say there isn't an edge to be had by taking advantage of all of the resources out there. Knorr Marketing Communications President Wendy Knorr said using a variety of tools is key to marketing and communication success. "Candidates ... need to embrace these mediums as they did radio and TV. It is no longer a one-way communication." Most city council candidates use or plan to use some combination of Web site, Twitter and Facebook. For some, such as mayoral candidate Sid Sullivan, it's a new experience. "I'm not exactly a techie. I'm learning as I am going," he said. Sullivan said his campaign team urged him to take advantage of new media. He has a Web site complete with videos and links to his Facebook and Twitter feeds. Although he doesn't do all the tweeting himself, he does embrace Twitter's interactive nature, relaying questions to voters as well as issues that he feels are important. "It's a way to get messages out, a way to attract voters to see who you are," he said. Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade, also a mayoral candidate, has a Twitter feed but seems more skeptical about its potential. His Twitter feed lacks the variety of Sullivan's. Ten of Wade's 11 tweets are about his recent kickoff party at Boone Tavern. In a recent interview with KCOU radio at the University of Missouri, Wade said, "I don't believe that it would have that much of an impact at this time." He feels local elections are personal and said he prefers a personal connection to people. Karl Skala, who seeks to retain his Third Ward seat, said simply, "I don't tweet." Skala said he sees the value in social networking but said his time is limited and texting isn't a priority. "I have a lot to do to keep up with blogs and newspapers. I just don't need Twitter on top of that," he said. Skala, who has a campaign Web site, said that between his cell phone and "office" hours at a local coffee shop, he is plenty available to the public. Gary Kespohl, who is challenging Skala in the Third Ward, owns Central Missouri Computer Center Inc. He is one of the city's first programmers, having helped write the first billing program for the Columbia Water and Light Department in the late 1960s. It might come as a surprise that a tech-savvy entrepreneur had little knowledge until recently of social media. But Kespohl said he didn't have time for it because of his job. Now, wanting to make the best of his campaign, he is taking a crash course in everything from tweeting to blogging. "I think the more things I can do like this, the better off," Kespohl said, adding that he plans to post something every few hours. Scott Wendling is a consultant and Web developer who spent time yesterday showing Kespohl the virtual ropes. Wendling insists that Kespohl do it all himself. "People want to know him. His personality, thoughts and ideas need to come through, and the only way that's going to happen if he is doing it," Wendling said. Mayoral candidate Paul Love agrees. "The whole idea of social networking is that" people "get to talk to you and see you personally. I don't think that having a member of your campaign staff do that gives people the personal touch that they're looking for." Mike Vangel, owner of Vangel Communications, said Web pages these days are basic for candidates and that Facebook and Twitter can augment and enhance their presence, setting up a dynamic that otherwise wouldn't be possible. "In a sense," social networking "is a continuation of what we've always tried to do as people. It is the latest iteration of the human need to reach out and communicate," Vangel said. Reach Daniel Cailler at 573-815-1717 or e-mail [email protected]. To see more of the Columbia Daily Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbiatribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |