Using Social Media to Debunk Myths and Inform

Barack Obama (or as we like to call him, WOMmander in Chief) first used social media to help win an election. Now that he’s in the White House, he is using it to try to win approval for the health insurance reform. This week, Obama’s team launched the Health Insurance Reform: Reality Check Web site, which will give Americans clear answers about the reform, and what it means to them.

The front page of the media-rich site has videos of six individuals who explain different aspects of the reform. In the video below, Kavita Patel, who works in the White House and is a former physician, debunks the myth that reform will lead to “rationing.” In the video, she directly reads e-mails from individuals who are skeptical of health insurance reform, and responds with an explanation and information about what the reform plan could mean.

Each video features one individual talking in a a casual office setting. There’s no backdrop, heavy make-up or bright lights. The simplicity of these videos is a great example of how social media does not need to be scripted and excessively edited to be effective.

The site also has a FAQ section and a “contact us” button, which invites users to ask questions about health insurance reform or make suggestions on what topics should be addressed next. The initiative to educate Americans about health insurance reform is  social-media laden. When it’s combined with face-to-face interaction such as town hall meetings, it’s an exemplary model of properly executed word of mouth. As the President speaks in this afternoon’s town hall meeting, the White House is streaming video live on whitehouse.gov and on Facebook–with a live discussion to accompany it (WOM bonus points!).

The White House is doing a good job getting the message out. With more than 900,000 Twitter followers and 300,000 Facebook fans, it was exposed to more than one million viewers through those two outlets alone. Yesterday afternoon, the site was voted to Digg’s homepage and now has been “dugg” 1,425 times.

There is a lot of confusion and division on the subject of health care reform. Obama’s initiative will inform Americans about what his plan will include.  And informed people can make decisions based on the facts, not myths.

What will become of the health insurance reform is still unknown. One thing is for sure, though, the Obama Administration sure gets WOM.

Presidential WOM

President Obama has been noted as the first president to adequately (some might say expertly) take advantage of the social media scene. We want to take a moment, highlight his efforts, and point out why they are executed so well. All hail the WOMmander in Chief!

White House YouTube Channel

The White House YouTube Channel has 136 videos, 47,485 subscribers, and 1,124,468 views – this is all since January. Needless to say, the White House YouTube channel is a force to be reckoned with. There are videos ranging from the “Weekly Address” to the President having a casual shoot-out with the Championship UConn Womens Basketball team. These videos give people a more personal look into the life of the president, and also bring the messages of the White House to the places that people are gathering online. By giving people exclusive content, and letting them discuss videos freely, the White House is embracing the philosophies behind good word of mouth marketing.

White House Flickr Photostream

Much like the YouTube channel, the presidential photostream gives people access to content that they wouldn’t have otherwise. They can download the pictures, share them with their friends, or just comment on them. The White House could censor comments or prevent them completely, but it seems as though there is no moderation whatsoever (see example below). I edited out some foul language – it shows how much the White House is willing to allow.

Although there are negative comments, they don’t necessarily hurt the White House. First of all, supporters are quick to reply with rebuttals. Secondly, by allowing discussions on the White House videos and pictures, it is easier to find out what people are saying and to enter the discussion if necessary.

Barack Obama’s Twitter Account

Although the account originally started as a campaigning tool, the president now uses twitter for announcements and to promote online locations. With only seven twitters since his election, I wouldn’t call it a main source of information, but with over a million followers (#5 of all Twitter users) any message that gets sent out is seen by a lot of people.

So what makes Obama an expert in social media? Let’s recap:

1. He isn’t afraid to allow comments. Less censorship = free exchange of ideas (what the internet is all about)

2. Exclusive content. From weekly addresses on YouTube to photos that we can all share, media from of the president is no longer a monopoly of…well, the media.

3. He doesn’t make us leave our comfort zone. He enters the discussion where it is already taking place.

4. He enables his passionate supporters to spread the word, with his own social network/ambassador program (don’t know what this is? shoot us a line, we’d be happy to elaborate)