Twitter is a service for friends, family and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Using 140 characters or less, individuals can send thoughts, observations, and goings-on in their day. They can follow others by receiving their tweets.
As of June 2008, Twitter had almost three million monthly users (triple the users in November 2007) excluding those with twitter updates on mobile phones.
Candidates can keep their supporters well informed about the status of campaigns with up-to-date “Tweets.” Campaigns can also put a Twitter badge on their website, blog, MySpace page or on anything that accepts Javascript or HTML. They can send and receive updates from within Facebook or use Twitter updates as their Facebook status.
Tracking on Twitter is an SMS or IM only feature that allows you to receive all twitters that match a word you’re tracking. For example, if you send “track Clinton,” you will receive all Clinton updates in your email. Campaigns can monitor their own races through this function as well as opponents.
Campaigns can use Twitter to inform their network about the race, send key news and information, ask their followers questions and promote events. Campaigns can also customize their Twitter badge to display whatever they’d like. Obama has more than 50,000 followers and CNN sends alerts through Twitter. In June 2008, the Personal Democracy Forum held the first Twitter debate between representatives from Obama and McCain’s campaign.
Fundraise from Women on Twitter
Women are engaging in politics through Twitter, following groups and individuals like Planned Parenthood and Kim Gandy (NOW’s President). Women also pass on political information to their networks, with updates on campaign news and events, and use Twitter to rally their networks to give, tapping into the key value of interaction that women donors value. Candidates can fundraise with Twitter by using it to tap into two key values for online women donors: providing up-to-date information on fundraising progress and demonstrating the impact that their contributions have on the issues women care about.
To Get Started
Sign up on Twitter
Learn about Twitter and mobile technology
Learn how to make a Twitter Badge
