[net-gold] Canadian Critics Misjudged the Power of Digital Advocacy
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Net-Gold @ Nabble" <ml-node+3172864-337556105@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:59:40 -0500 (EST)
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Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:05:31 -0700 (MST)
From: George Lessard <media@xxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Net-Gold] Canadian Critics Misjudged the Power of Digital Advocacy
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Canadian Critics Misjudged
the Power of Digital Advocacy
Geist: Critics misjudged the power
of Facebook digital advocacy
<http://ow.ly/XO6m>
Social media #prorogue
[excerpts]
The new year is less than three weeks
old, but the Canadian Internet story
of 2010 may have already taken place.
Ridiculed by political parties and
analysts, the growth of the Canadians
Against Proroguing Parliament
Facebook group, which now has more
than 200,000 members, provides the
clearest indicator yet of how poorly
the Canadian political community
understands social media and digital
advocacy.
When the Prime Minister announced he
was proroguing parliament in the
midst of the holiday season, political
commentators applauded the tactic,
confident few Canadians would notice
or care. In less than three weeks,
Christopher White, a university student
from Alberta, proved the experts
wrong, building the largest Facebook
group in the country, one that's the
focal point for national discussion and
voter discontent.
[...]
This represents a shocking underestimation
of the power of digital advocacy, which
today is an integral part of virtually
every political orbusiness advocacy
campaign.
[...]
... anyone who tells you that building
a 200,000-person Facebook group is
easy has never tried to do it. Indeed,
Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff,
Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe, the
four national party leaders, have less
than 100,000 members combined on their
respective Facebook pages.
[...]
Third, attempts to marginalize Facebook
users as outside the mainstream is
difficult to reconcile with the fact
that Canadians are among the most
active social network users in the world.
Recent estimates found 42 per cent of
Canadians have a Facebook account, with
more than 50 per cent under the age of 45
on the social network.
Fourth, the dismissal of social media as
a useful tool for rallying support fails
to recognize what marketers have long
understood ? word of mouth from a trusted
source is always the most effective means
of spreading a message.
Political parties invest millions in ad
campaigns trying to garner public
support, but Facebook advocacy is
potentially more effective because it's
all about word of mouth. Joining a group
may require little more than a mouse
click, but behind that click is a trusted
network of friends and colleagues providing
their personal recommendation.
[...]
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Other related posts:
- » [net-gold] Canadian Critics Misjudged the Power of Digital Advocacy - David P. Dillard
