The political world has undeniably been disrupted since 2008 when Obama effectively used social media as a major campaign strategy. And now, we have Trump and Hillary. With the US presidential election less than four weeks away, the heat continues on the digital media. And it is interesting to watch the war of words and the opinions forming among the Republicans and Democrats in United States.

Today’s average citizen uses more than two digital devices and platforms, making the voter journey more complex than ever before. Also remember that politics is basically just a higher form of marketing. Like a brand, they strive for consistency, advertise their biggest offerings, try to influence key audiences in demographics and try to recover when things go wrong. The only difference is, instead of selling a product or a service, they’re selling personality. With that being said, it is interesting to watch how the candidates are using digital media as an integral part of their presidential campaign and what marketers have to learn from this.

US Presidential Election 2016

Lessons for Brand Marketers:

• Have simple and clear messaging

If there is one thing that sets Donald Trump apart, it’s the concept he has chosen that will speak to their target audience in a simplified and memorable way. The concept seems extremely simple on the surface, but also manages to convey a nuance and depth that resonates with their target audience. The call to “Make America Great Again” promises a strong and patriotic goal. The promise of a great country has wide appeal, and the single word “Again” eloquently captures and expresses a fear that greatness may have left the country behind.

Thus, the messaging about your business should be simple with a touch of emotional connect to attract and engage the right audience.

• Strategies must change with time

The economic decline of the traditional media brought about by the internet has changed the way marketing works. A classic example would be the pace with which the Trump bandwagon has gathered speed and supporters for that matter, through his much talked about Twitter campaign. The way Trump has used Twitter and other digital mediums to his advantage and how his counterpart Hilary is also matching with it is a clear indicator of the power, influence and impact of social media.

This said, brand marketers must also grow and adapt with the times. What worked for your company just five years ago probably won’t work for you the same way today. It is important to wake up to this reality and keep a constant checkpoint on the industry trends around as well as consider re-evaluating the strategies time and again and be adaptive.

Bonus Tip: – Some ways to keep up with the trends in the industry are subscribing to industry blogs and updates, LinkedIn groups, email newsletters, Twitter trends and monitoring competitors. Also, you can read about latest trends in Mobile Marketing here.

• Consistency is the key

The thing that keeps Donald Trump’s social media fresh is its consistency. In an age where people are looking to consume content at alarming rates, Trump is playing directly into the hands of the people who are active online. Using majority of the popular digital mediums and keeping a constant flow of messages, Trump is resonating with online audiences. A quick fact – As the presidential race got into gear, Trump began tweeting more than ever (10-12 times daily) and no surprise, his audience and followers grew phenomenally.

The key is to consistently place your content across the digital mediums and keep your target audience constantly engaged. Of course, consistency is more than just about your message- it is about tone, frequency, message and timing. Marketers and brands can learn a lesson from this approach and connect with the right audiences effectively.

On the ending note, here are some stats about the presidential rivals:

• Twitter -Trump has 12.4 million followers while Hillary has managed to get 9.65 million followers to her support. Also, Trump’s tweets have been retweeted a total of 12 million times, while Clinton’s tweets have been retweeted 5.5 million times.
• Facebook – Hillary Clinton has received 6.9 million likes while Trump has 11.3 million likes on his Facebook page.
• LinkedIn – Donald Trump does not have a personal profile on LinkedIn that I could find. There is a Donald Trump for President group with 7,158 members. Hillary Clinton is a LinkedIn Influencer and her page has 532,800 followers.
• YouTube – Clinton’s YouTube channel has 82,052 subscriptions while Trump has a channel called Donald J. Trump for President which has 69,102 subscriptions.
• Instagram – The candidates are closer when it comes to Instagram. Hillary Clinton has 2.4 million followers and Trump has 2.6 million followers.

If you are a business owner or brand marketer and want to jump start your digital campaigns, Streebo Interactive – an award winning digital marketing and interactive services team can help you with all.  We create collaterals and awesome videos, run engaging email and social campaigns and manage content on your web and mobile app – and, that’s not all! Contact us to know more.

Disclaimer – The opinions and views expressed here are my personal and does not reflect the opinions of Streebo.