Ronn TorossianRonn Torossian

What are the Presidential candidates doing right and wrong on social media? We have some suggestions for how they could improve — and these suggestions should work for everyone else as well.

Being themselves

Let’s face it, a lot of what Donald Trump does on — and off — social media wouldn’t work for any other person on the planet. But it works for him. Why? Well, it’s working for him and his followers because that’s who he is.

Long before Trump started on the road for the White House, he was making money as a larger-than-life loudmouth, so much so that at times you have to wonder if he’s like that with those with whom he’s close on a daily basis, or if it’s just a well rehearsed front.

Insofar as social media goes, does anyone even know who Hilary is? Beyond that, there’s a lot of secrecy that seems to have surrounded her for decades, unanswered questions, missing information and other “where there’s smoke, there must be fire,” kinds of problems. But even if a person wants to maintain some privacy, it doesn’t mean personality or values can’t be displayed in a number of ways.

For causes that are important, post an appropriate video that you think is well-executed, hilarious, or particularly heart-rending. Do more than post a travel itinerary or twenty tweets in a row that simply say “thank you …” then fill in the last word or two. That tells us nothing about the person or organization posting. In fact, it may feel more like the very most junior intern has been put in charge of social media.

A candidate can go to rallies, dinners and kiss a lot of babies and never come near the numbers of people they can touch on social media, but it needs to be done in a way that fosters a connection with followers.

The other candidates also need to step up their game in this regard. Some of them seem to not even understand that social media is a possibility.

Instagram

We’d have to say none of the candidates are using this platform in the right way. All of them seem to be regurgitating their posts and content from their other social media accounts. Instagram is not the same as Facebook, is not the same as Twitter, is not the same as YouTube. Treating each platform in the way it is intended and how others find success on that platform is important.

Post selfies that include as many of their followers in the pictures as possible. Try posting a selfie with the group behind and everyone waving or with their thumbs up, and then say something like “Thank you, Virginia.” A post like that could also be used easily on Twitter with some hashtags about voter turnout or #thanksforvotes. Using the same picture on Facebook a day or two later with a story about what happened during that meeting or reiterating a soundbite and a personal story would be a good choice too.

But posting pictures frequently will jazz up any social media feed. Instagram, however, you should remember it’s all about the picture! Bring life, humor, or whatever else works into the photograph and use a short phrase — or not. Can you imagine how quickly a picture would go viral with Donald Trump posting a picture of himself in a very different hairstyle and embed a catchy phrase on the photo … maybe something like, Everybody has a bad hair day now and then. It’s not the message for frequent use, but it would show he has a sense of humor and give him a stronger connection for people just living their lives.

If you want your posts to get shared, retweeted, etc., add the personal touch and include a new picture. And for people doing their own business campaigns — the same rules apply.

Reply

None of the candidates are doing much replying to their followers. It may take time to reply, but even if they just replied to one in one hundred comments, it would be a powerful choice. When there seems to be virtually no chance of a response, sooner or later followers begin believing you don’t care about what they have to say. If you reply to even 10 posts a day, those 10 posts are going to get passed around extensively, and people will say, “Wow, he’s one of us.” Or, “Look, she’s taking the time to respond to the regular folks.”

Learn what you can do, even if the candidates don’t. Be yourself, respond to your followers, and use the platforms the way they are done successfully for many others.

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Ronn Torossian is the CEO & Founder of 5W Public Relations. 5WPR is headquartered in New York City.