Social media use has exploded in the past few years and is now a major component of the online experience for most adults. When President Obama was first elected in 2008, only 25% had ever visited a social media site. Now that number is 70% and still climbing.[i]
Of course, young people (18-29) lead the way, with 90% of them using social media, followed by the 30-49 group at 77%, the 50-64 group at 51%, and seniors at 35%. And while all four groups have seen increased usage since the last presidential election, the fastest growth is among seniors where usage has nearly doubled since 2012.[ii]
Why Facebook ?
Facebook far outweighs its social media competitors, especially among women, where 77% of those who are online use the platform compared to 66% of men.[iii] Three-quarters of Facebook users visit the site at least once a day.[iv]
How is it Used?
Political and civic engagement is a primary reason why adults use social media, with almost two-thirds of social media users actively participating in one or more ways.[v]
“like” or promote political or social issue postings (38%)
encourage others to vote (35%)
post own thoughts on politics or social issues (34%)
encourage others to take political action (31%)
get their "news" (66%) [vi]
Political videos online have become an important part of the national dialogue. During the 2012 election, over half of all registered voters viewed videos related to the campaign.[vii]
What Will It Cost?
Facebook ad rates are remarkably inexpensive. A recent video campaign for an in-state candidate spent $250 and achieved the following:
8,500 people reached, with the ad appearing an average of 2.75 times
23,400 “impressions” at an average CPM (cost per thousand) of less than $11
9,800 video “views” (42% of the impressions) at $.03 each
particularly strong performance among women age 45-54, 35-44, and 55-64[viii]
Facebook's Competitive Advantage
each direct mail piece can cost 25 times more than one video view
posts remain in the target’s newsfeed for later viewing if desired
posts can be liked and shared, while mail ends up in the trash
real-time reporting makes it possible to evaluate and optimize campaigns in progress
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[i] http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Pew Research Center “Mobile Messaging and Social Media 2015”
[iv] http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
[v] Pew Research Center “Politics Fact Sheet” (November 2012)
[vi] http://www.journalism.org/2016/05/26/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2016/
[vii] Pew Research Center “Online Political Videos and Campaign 2012”
[viii] Proprietary Data
© COPYRIGHT 2016 JOHN HARTWELL / AMY KALAFA · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED