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Facebook’s Politics Team Is Taking on the Conventions

Facebook’s Politics & Government team has done pretty good job so far in running the U.S. Politics on Facebook page. The page, set up a few years ago, is now covering their first presidenti...
Facebook’s Politics Team Is Taking on the Conventions
Written by Josh Wolford
  • Facebook’s Politics & Government team has done pretty good job so far in running the U.S. Politics on Facebook page. The page, set up a few years ago, is now covering their first presidential election by showcasing how the candidates are using the platform to speak to fans (voters) as well as sharing tips for political campaigns in the best practices for viral engagement on the site.

    Earlier this week, the page debuted their first set of metrics about the election, which showed how newly-minted VP pick Paul Ryan was currently the most talked-about candidate in the race.

    Those stats comes from a partnership with CNN that the two companies announced last month. One of the goals of that partnership is to bring “comprehensive coverage” of the election through survey information as well as data on user engagement from a geographic and demographic standpoint. Facebook basically wants to monitor the national pulse leading up to November 6th.

    And make it social. That’s where another element of the initiative comes in. The new “I’m Voting” app will allow users to share their political choices with all of their friends. Once they officially endorse a candidate, that information will be displayed on their Timelines on pushed to their friends’ news feeds.

    According to a new note from the U.S. Politics on Facebook page, that app will make its debut when it demos at the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

    Facebook and CNN plan to demo a new “I’m Voting” Facebook application for conventioneers in Tampa and Charlotte. The app, which is part of a previously announced multi-platform partnership between the two companies, enables people using Facebook to commit to voting, endorse specific candidates, and solicit support from friends. Pledges will be visually displayed on an interactive map of the United States. The app, available in English and Spanish, will serve as a “second screen” for CNN’s America’s Choice 2012 political coverage.

    Facebook says they will have an on-the-ground presence at the conventions, hosting events with developers and employing “best practices” workspaces to make sure everyone at the convention is “making the most of their social media experience.”

    The election is going to hinge, in large part, on the ability of the candidates to mobilize their message across various social media platforms. As Facebook takes to Tampa and Charlotte, let’s all note that 2012 is probably the first true social media-driven election.

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