President Trump, and many of your hometown political campaigns, have and are now turning to social media in hopes of gaining votes from their constituents. It goes deeper than just wanting to win support from a boisterous millennial crowd, it is a cheaper and a more direct link to voters from all ages, political affiliations, and creeds. Social media reaches a majority of the population, and political campaigns have to find a way to be savvy in order to stand out and win. A very crucial role in campaigns now stand by that of a social media director. These are the people who monitor posts from campaign staff and who spend a large amount of time on social media networks reaching out to respective users regarding their candidate's campaign and the work they are doing. Social media directors have to be savvy in order to be effective in reaching as many potential voters daily, and that in itself is an art.
Now imagine yourself as an idealistic 19 year old college student. Life is laying out its path for you at your feet, and your approached through Twitter to be a social media director for a blossoming governor's race in Minnesota. In between classes and tennis, Brady Kenyon finds himself in the race supporting Chris Chamberlin for Governor of Minnesota. I was honored to be able to interview him for this week's blog.
Interview With Brady Kenyon Q & A:
P.W. You're 19 years old. Being a Social Media director for a governors race is a daunting task no matter anyone's age. How were you able to prepare for this role?
B.K. "I think regarding qualifications for heading social media age is just a number. I’ve spent the last year building up my Twitter reputation along with reaching out to conservative leaders through Twitter. I’ve reached almost 12k followers in under a year, I think people have made a connection with my message and it’s starting to show. I think we can all learn from Mr. Trump, he was absolutely brilliant throughout his campaign using Twitter to get his message across."
P.W. Social Media is nothing new for millennials but there is some resistance with the senior community to have a Facebook account or to be active on Twitter. How do you find a way to engage that demographic or do you not?
B.K. "Well, it does pose a challenge. However, I’m starting to see more and more senior citizens becoming involved with at least one social media platform. Ranging from Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or political chat rooms. Currently, when I connect with a user from the senior demographic, I have a conversation with that individual encouraging them to spread the importance of being more active on social media in regards to politics."
P.W. Do Facebook Likes or Twitter followers give you or your competition a way to gauge a candidate's support?
B.K. " I think this is a great question. Depending on who you ask, it will drastically change the response you get. However, I strongly believe in strength through numbers, especially within the social media community. Let’s use Twitter for an example. I’ve had numerous conversations with people from all over the United States, who have taken interest in the campaign here in Minnesota, all simply because they came across the campaign page on Twitter. Social media has become the easiest and most effective way to gain national attention for a campaign and to gain much-needed name recognition."
P.W. What type of posts do you find to be the most engaging and yield a high reach?
B.K. " The time of day does make a big difference. I’ve learned 12,3 get the most impressions while 5 pm gets the most retweets. I’ve seen more interaction with tweets that have sub quoted another tweet or tweets that include some form of media."
P.W. How do you see social media changing political strategy in future elections?
B.K. "Social Media is already changing campaign strategies. Take a look at the 2016 election. Donald Trump had tremendous strength through social media yet the analysts dismissed this is as irrelevant. It’s clear to everyone now that a strong social media following does make a difference. I assume from here on out, campaigns will look to connect with voters through social media."
P.W. What is it about the Chamberlin campaign that motivated you to work on his campaign to help him become elected?
B.K. " I have family in Minnesota. A goal of mine since entering the political field has been to help get another Republican Governor elected in Minnesota. As I saw the way Donald Trump nearly pulled off a remarkable upset and came within a point of winning Minnesota, an idea hit me. We have an opportunity to turn Minnesota red. I joined the Chamberlin campaign because we need to elect a leader that represents the common man. I believe in Chris Chamberlin’s message for the people of Minnesota, and I wanted to join the campaign in hopes of getting him elected. It’s inspiring to see a figure such as Mr. Chamberlin working so hard to better his state and I really wanted to be a part of that."
P.W. Who continues to be your inspiration to serve our nation by being involved our country's political process?
B.K. " President Trump continues to be a motivation for me. After seeing his election, and the way he connected with his base inspires me to continue in politics every day, and for years to come."
As many of you, I am in awe of the drive that Brady Kenyon has and the stereotypes he is tearing down every single day of the down trodden view many have of millennials. God speed to you Brady in helping improve our nation by Draining the Swamp!
(Brady can be found on Twitter @BradyKenyon)
