Media Richness Associated with the Elected Officials

Within this current administration, there has been a high amount of discourse with some of the decisions President Donald Trump has made. The Media Richness Theory is basically the way we convey information and in what capacity. In this blog, I wanted to focus on the two elected officials in particular and their communication efforts, […]

Social media can make or break a political campaign

Each year more and more people are turning to the internet to create discussions and get their ideas across. It’s also the source where most people receive information, whether it be news or updates on people’s lives, it’s being posted. This has both negative and positive factors for political leaders. A politician can surpass the […]

Media Richness & Social Media for Dummies: Elected Officials Edition

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 […]

Survive on social media when people don’t welcome you

It’s not a good start to be labeled as an incompetent before a new job, especially when being the new Education Secretary. The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) as President Trump’s education secretary on Feb 7th. Her confirmation was quite controversial. From her current media presence, she is considered as a billionaire who has no […]

How to Gain an Edge as a Elected Official on Social Media

Democracy lives online. As an elected official, social media allows you to educate and build a strong following on the issues you are passionate about. It also gives you the opportunity to influence members of the public and showcase your political knowledge. Follow these tips to gain an edge in your social media communications. 1. […]

The Tweets Have It

In the wake of the recent election, Americans learned just how polarized the country was in terms of its ability to deem a person worthy of their vote. Now that this phase is over, it’s time to get the new set of politicians on the hill whipped into shape. Here is my advice to elected […]

Advice for politicians based on Media Richness Theory

Overall, the core idea of Media Richness Theory (MRT) is the richer and more personal communication mediums are, the more effective the communication will be; in contrast, the leaner and less rich media can decrease the effectiveness of media (Daft and Langel, 1983). To make the most effective use of this theory, there are ways […]

2016 Presidential Candidates: What Platforms Should They Use?

People are inundated with information from various media all day long. Between Facebook, TV ads, and real life interactions, it can be difficult to grab someone’s attention. With the upcoming election, how can political candidates grab the attention of voters? The solution is through social media platforms that voters are using, but which ones should candidates use to engage with voters?

Media Richness Theory

In 1980, Daft and Lengel created a theory of media richness. In essence, their theory states that different types of media have different levels of richness. Face-to-face interactions are the richest because individuals can receive direct feedback and read not just verbal cues, but the visual cues from a speaker’s body language (Daft and Lengel 1980). Studies show that only 7% of information in face-to-face interactions comes from what someone is saying: the bulk of information is delivered via verbal cues (i.e. intonation) and body language (Daft and Lengel 1980).

My Recommendations

Candidates are already aware the power face-to-face interactions have, but can not engage with every single voter that way. There are several social media platforms available that mimic face-to-face interactions and make it easier for candidates to communicate with voters. Here are my recommendations for social media platforms that candidates can use:

SnapChat- One of the best aspects of SnapChat is that it’s great for younger voter demographics. Millenials love SnapChat and its short video/photo format. It is also incredibly easy to provide live updates from events.

Well @Snapchat superbowl coverage is excellent. Much easier to care when you're embedded with the fans. Well played. #SuperBowlSunday

— Frank Whelan (@FWhelanMedia) February 8, 2016

Facebook- Using Facebook has several benefits. The new livestream video feature makes it possible for voters to watch candidates’ events live. In addition, Facebook Messenger for Pages makes it so voters can message candidates’ social media teams and interact with them directly.

Periscope– This app is now linked with Twitter so candidates can post live videos. It also makes it easier for news organizations from across the globe to access candidates’ content.

Periscope broadcasts now come alive within Twitterhttps://t.co/R346R1lgZb

— Periscope (@periscopeco) January 12, 2016

Clearly, face-to-face interactions are the best way to engage voters, but the social media platforms above can increase candidates’ reach in a similar manner. What other platforms or techniques would you recommend to the 2016 Presidential candidates?

Sources:

Daft, Richard and Robert Lengel. Information Richness. A New Approach to Managerial Behavior and Organizational Design. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University College of Business Administration, 1980.

Raedle, Joe. Image from Getty Images News.

Two Things The 2016 Election Candidates Should Look At

Recently, the 2016 Election has heated up with multiple debates and primary results. As seen clearly, social media plays an important role in this year’s Election, especially engaging public with timely updates, photos and videos. I, as a social media specialist, have two pieces of advice for this year’s candidates. First, so as to deliver information […]

Newhouse

SOCIAL MEDIA

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