Media Richness & Social Media for Dummies: Elected Officials Edition

Posted on by Sarah Heikkinen

There’s no doubt that social media had a huge impact on the 2017 Presidential Election and the events that followed it. Candidates used Twitter to lash out at one another, protestors connected on Facebook and Twitter to start a movement, and the newly inaugurated President Trump continued to use his personal Twitter to openly discuss policy proposals and other announcements.

Both new and seasoned politicians could use a refresher on how to optimize their social media accounts; Richard Daft and Robert Lengel’s Information Richness Theory (1983) can serve as a framework for Twitter-happy politicians trying to keep up in the ever-changing climate of social media.

Here are a few tips:

1. Try to be personable, but don’t overdo it.

  • Because there’s an automatic disconnect between you and your followers, you should make an effort to not be too stiff with your posts.
  • You should also shy away from forcing a connection (don’t Tweet out a meme or obviously pander to certain audiences if it doesn’t make sense for who you are as a politician, or as a person).

2. Incorporate visuals whenever possible.

  • Plain text can seem formal and computer-like. Adding a video message, photo, or even a gif (when appropriate!) can help make up for that disconnect that comes from communicating through social media, and not face-to-face.

3. Avoid ambiguity.

  • When you aren’t speaking to someone face-to-face, broad statements can appear even broader. Don’t use ambiguous click bait jargon in your tweets or Facebook posts; it’s very easy to see through, and can be easily disproven (read: all of Donald Trump’s tweets about fake news)

While Daft and Lengel’s claim that face-to-face communication is the richest and most ideal form of information sharing still rings true, remember that correctly using social media can help you get close to that ideal.

Happy tweeting!

4 thoughts on “Media Richness & Social Media for Dummies: Elected Officials Edition”

  1. Loved the title! All three tips apply to the media richness theory, and the examples you provided were great. However, I’m not going to lie. I selfishly was hoping to see a little jab at Anthony Weiner for tip number two. Something along the lines of “And if you’re going to incorporate visuals whenever possible, just remember there are some visuals best left off Twitter. Anthony Weiner can attest to that…” Oh, and emoji’s! Can’t forget about using emoji’s to help with ambiguity a little. But overall nice post.

  2. I like the structure of your story. I was an easy read and your points were pretty clear. Your tweets match them head on too. I really liked #3. You’re right! Sometimes broad statements can be taken out of context. People use jargon statements and words ceases to convey any real information.

  3. I like how you broke down the tips and made it very easy to follow. I think these tips are great guides for people who are either starting out on Twitter, or who want to be more involved, like politicians. It allows them to really interact with their audience, as well as gain engagement. This tips also help with just making your timeline more visually pleasing and fun to get your point across without compromising who you are as an individual. Well written, and straight to the point.

  4. I really think you did a great job on making the tips easy to understand and follow for current/ future politicians. I agree with David – don’t forget those emojis! I think your best tip is to avoid ambiguity. There are some certain people (you know who I’m talking about) that really aren’t great at making what they’re saying clear. You made your tips really aesthetically pleasing and visually rich, just like you suggested the politicians make theirs which is great. Awesome job! Well written as well.

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