Determined to avoid a repeat of last year’s presidential election, Republican Members of Congress are going gangbusters in Social Media. Based on a recent study, for example, they appear to be tweeting a great deal more than their Democratic counterparts.
Congressional Twitter Report
The report from the Congressional Research Service, a part of the Library of Congress which provides comprehensive legislative research, studied Congressional use of Twitter during a two week period this summer.
Here’s what they found:
- Twice as many Republicans as Democrats use Twitter; 29% of House Members and 31% of Senators.
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Congress Members sent an average of 85 tweets per day collectively, the most being on Thursdays.
- Republican Representatives tweet five times more than Democrats (828 vs. 166).
- Most Congress Members use Twitter as a less effective, one-way system to broadcast their messages, public appearances and other links, rather than as a more rounded vehicle to engage in dialog with constituents.
Republican New Media Caucus
Watch out Democrats. Republicans have undertaken a determined, multi-faceted approach to Social Media. If you haven’t visited their New Media Caucus, I suggest you do so. The site and its Social Media counterparts are intended as gathering points for sharing, education and training on Social Media for Republicans.
Follow Tweet Congress
If you want to keep tabs on Congress’ use of Twitter, also check out or subscribe to Tweet Congress, which ranks members by number of tweets and sorts them by tags, among other things. There, for example, you’ll find that three of the five most prolific Members of Congress are Republican, led by John McCain, with over 1.4 million followers.
My interpretation:
Twitter and all Social Media is still new and fast-changing. How to most effectively use these tools remains a learning process. Still unsure how to make the most of Social Media, Republicans are determined nonetheless to lead this time, not follow.