We wrote a lot about the importance of Barack Obama’s use of social media during the recent U.S. election cycle, and we have seen some evidence that the Obama administration will continue to use these communication channels in the future.
According to a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, this is also what Obama’s supporters expect from their candidate. 46% of Obama voters expect the newly elected President to reach out to them directly through email, social networks, and text messages.
The Pew study found that 34% of Obama supporters expect to get email updates from the administration, 37% expect to get updates on social networks, and 11% want the new administration to send them text messages. A surprisingly large number of Obama voters (17%) even expect to get occasional phone calls from the administration.
Looking back at the election campaign, the Pew survey also found that 59% voters flocked to the net for campaign activities before the general election.
Can the Administration Sustain this Enthusiasm?
Sustaining this enthusiasm among voters will be a challenge for the new administration, however. The Pew study rightly asks if these voters will remain politically engaged once the excitement of the election has worn off. At the same time, the administration itself will have to work hard to fulfill these expectations and to sustain its own enthusiasm for these new technologies. After all, it has now been almost 56 days since Obama last used Twitter.
It will also be interesting to see if the Republican party will now turn to the net to mobilize its supporters in preparation for the next election cycle.
