by J. Butler, Content Development Specialist
Election fever has taken over St. John's, Newfoundland. With the St. John's mayoral election in less than two weeks' time, it seems like a great time to take a step back and assess how our local candidates are using social media to their advantage.
Let's see how the candidates for the St. John's Mayoral race shape up:
Dennis O'Keefe
Claim to Fame: As the incumbent, O'Keefe already has a significant head start over his opponents with the voters of St. John's. In addition, O'Keefe has a long record of service to the city, including a stint as a consumer advocate and tourism supporter.
On Facebook: No.
On Twitter? No.
Blog Status: None.
Google Results for "dennis o'keefe mayor": 70,000
Overall Social Media Grade: D+
While he does have a website, it seems mostly static and full of basic campaign rhetoric. With no Facebook, Twitter, or blog, there's no real online way to support him--voters will have to rely on the ol' standby: those annoying lawn signs.
Ron Ellsworth
Claim to Fame: City Council member since 2005 and an active member of the community.
On Facebook: Yes. His Group page, "Team Ellsworth," has 719 members and is active updated. Blog Status: No blog, but his website does feature a downloadable booklet called "The Ellsworth Essentials."
Personal Website: http://www.ronellsworth.com/
Google Results for "ron ellsworth mayor": 922,000
Overall Social Media Grade: B+
Making his campaign booklet "The Ellsworth Essentials" available for download was a great use of the wide reach of the web. His website also features a place online where interested parties can sign up for the campaign. Ellsworth is clearly making an effort, something that will surely mean come Election Day.
Mark Wilson
Claim to Fame: The lead singer for local band The Idlers, Wilson is currently trying to tap into a demographic that is often ignored in municipal elections, the young and tech-savvy.
On Facebook? Yes. His Fan Page is active and well-populated, with nearly 250 supporters. Plus, there are two unofficial groups for his campaign with 40 members between them.
Blog Status: 5 posts. He's also been a popular topic on St. John's-focused SignalBlog. Personal Website: http://www.mayormarkwilson.com/
Google Results for "mark wilson mayor": 843,000
Overall Social Media Grade: A-
His website is more or less an example in how to do social media right. From the forum to the Media sections filled with YouTube campaign clips, everything about Wilson's website is interactive and informative. He even walks voters through the steps to signing up to vote--very important when your vote may rely on young, not yet registered voters. But these social media ventures were somewhat underpopulated, with only 35 tweets and a handful of blog posts. Still, all these social media efforts are reaching out to young voters in the city--whether or not they'll show up to support him on election day is yet to be decided.
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When you think about it, it makes sense to see more and more social media creep up into our elections: it worked beautifully in the recent American Presidential race, helping Barack Obama spread his message of change to a wide, receptive audience. Social media, after all, is about participation, and one of the chief problems plaguing voter turnouts in recent is lack of involvement. Hence, involve people online and watch them tune in to the issues and ultimately, Election Day.
Any verdict on whether or not social media will have a huge impact on the St. John's voters will have to wait until September 29th--the day of the elections. For the full, official list of candidates, visit the City of St. John's website.
Agree or disagree with the grades? Speak up in the comments!
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