Work stopped this morning at Advent as we watched the inauguration of Pres. Barack Obama along with pretty much the rest of the world. I could write a lot about the event, but since this is the official Advent blog I’m just going to point out one surprising and oddly assuring phenomenon that occurred today in conjunction with the ceremony: The launch of the new White House YouTube Channel.
It only has two videos up so far, and only a handful of subscribers, but it means more as a symbol than anything else. As the president said in his address this morning, the world has changed and we need to change with it.
Social media and Internet marketing, which normally get lumped into the general category of search engine optimization (SEO), are changing the way we communicate, collaborate and network. The world certainly is changing and it appears the White House gets it.
We at Advent have had our very own YouTube channel, and I’m proud to say that for a few hours we had more subscribers than the White House. (In writing this the White House channel has tripled it’s subscribers.)
The launch of the site sends a nice message on the first official day of the new administration. It’s a harbinger of openness and two-way communication. Still, there are several ways that it could get screwed up quick. Just in case Pres. Obama is reading our blog, here are a few things he should avoid:
1. Have a no B.S. rule
One of the most appealing ideas in political communication is the ability to take your message directly to people without having to pass the media gatekeepers. Keep it free of B.S. and propaganda and social media will provide that opportunity. If transparency is the goal, I will watch the channel faithfully. If I get the feeling, however, that I’m being overly manipulated, then I’ll go back to watching C-SPAN. (Please don’t make me do that. C-SPAN is so boring.)
2. Don’t always be serious
Make it fun. Social media is a much more flexible and freewheeling medium than its predecessors. The White House has arguably the most serious issues in the world to deal with, but that doesn’t mean you have carte blanche to be stodgy. Follow the example of Nancy Pelosi, who put a RickRoll prank video on the House of Representative’s YouTube channel.
3. Give us something new
Don’t show us all the same stuff we can find on the 24-hour news cycles. Show us something intimate or exclusive. Or, use the channel to give the full context of a gaffe from Joe Bidden, and explain what he really meant to say. It’s up to you, but don’t let it get redundant and stale.
4. Respond to posts
YouTube has the comment section for feedback on the videos. It would be great if somebody at the White House could keep tabs on the comments and respond every once in a while. Perhaps instead of a weekly radio address, you could answer a question on YouTube. I would watch that. Plus, I wouldn’t miss the weekly radio address. I don’t think anybody born after the Great Depression would miss that. I’m just saying.
OK, I’m done playing presidential advisor. (Note to Obama: I would be available for Secretary of Social Media, if you want to go that route.) Happy Inauguration Day!