Social Media Lessons from @HillaryClinton

June 10, 2013

social media lessonsHillary Clinton added a new accomplishment to her long list of achievements on Monday when she made her debut on Twitter. Within hours of setting up her account, she had followed four, sent out her first (and thus far only) Tweet, and picked up over 180,000 followers. In the process, she also brought a new hashtag into the Twitter vernacular: #tweetsfromhillary.
The former secretary of state may be a little late to the party, but her foray into the Twittersphere is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of some important social media lessons:

  • Twitter is a powerful tool for distributing messages. While most of us will never reach the hundreds of thousands of followers Hillary has, that doesn’t negate the power of using Twiiter to communicate with your prospects and customers. Leveraged properly, it will help amplify your voice so that you get heard.
  • You’re never too old for social media. It seems that many CEOs and other executives of a certain age steer clear of social media, as if they were exempt from keeping up with the times. The reality, however, is that’s a losing mentality. Countless millions are growing up with Twitter as a common form of communication. Fair warning: If you’re not on the boat, you will get left behind.
  • Incorporate Twitter into your communication strategy.  Let’s be honest. Hillary didn’t start tweeting for giggles. She recognized that it was an important communications channel to reach a young, savvy demographic as she prepares for a potential run for president in 2016. Don’t overlook Twitter or think of it as a waste of time, but rather as a strategic platform for communication that can be used to help you meet your own goals and initiatives.
  • You absolutely have time for social media. Okay, so she’s not the secretary of state any more, but regardless, if Hillary has time for Twitter, so do you. In as little as five minutes a day, you can establish and maintain an active presence on Twitter and become part of the conversation.

So, regardless of your views of Hillary Clinton, and whether you plan to join the masses that start popularizing #tweetsfromhillary, let’s at least agree that we can give her some due respect for reminding us just how important and valuable of a tool Twitter can be.

Content Marketing Director

<strong>Kevin Cain</strong> is the Content Marketing Director for <a href="http://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/">BlueChip Communication</a>, Australia's leading financial services communication firm. Before joining BlueChip, Kevin was the Director of Content Strategy for OpenView.