The Big One: Trump is the Only Candidate Who Gets Social Media

DC Inno ^ | October 1, 2015 | Eric Hal Schwartz

[2ndDivisionVet]

Donald J. Trump
✔ ‎@realDonaldTrump

I just wrapped up a Q&A @TwitterNYC. Thanks for all your
questions! #AskTrump

12:36 PM - 21 Sep 2015

Donald Trump's spirit animal is Twitter's little blue bird. The billionaire developer, former reality TV star and putative leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination has turned his social media accounts into one-stop shops for his thoughts and views for millions of people without having to spend a dime. And while other candidates have made concerted efforts to craft digital strategies aimed at reaching new and younger constituencies through media like Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram, none have managed to come close to the reach of Trump's braggadocious online persona.

Trump clearly takes to heart the adage that "there's no such thing as bad publicity." Whether it's fomenting feuds with Fox News, personal insults against other candidates or broad slurs against minority groups and entire countries, Trump is willing to share his views. And the brilliance of his often clearly extemporaneous tweets is that they make sure that the press and his opponents are constantly scrambling to react to him.

Across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Trump's combined following of 8 million users dwarfs even his closest Republican competitor, Ben Carson, who has a combined 3.3 million. And his blunt tweets and 15 second Instagram attack ads, the brainchild of Trump's social media director Justin McConney, show an adept understanding of how the platforms should be utilized. Other candidates attempts at things like Throwback Thursday posts, or stiffly trying to squeeze a soundbite into a 10 second Snapchat....

[The Iceman Cometh]

Political ads, like the one Jeb created are so tired and worthless anymore.

[Berlin_Freeper]

The Big One: Trump is the Only Candidate Who Gets Social Medicine