Why Social Media?
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 65% 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]
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.[iv]
- “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%)
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.[v]
How Much Does 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
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
[i] Pew Research Center “Social Media Usage 2005-2015”
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Pew Research Center “Mobile Messaging and Social Media 2015”
[iv] Pew Research Center “Politics Fact Sheet” (November 2012)
[v] Pew Research Center “Online Political Videos and Campaign 2012”