Keeping Up with the JONESES: The State of Texting in 2009

A new examination of text messaging data from six progressive non-profit organization finds that while their text messaging list grew by about half in 2009, only a tiny sliver of people who join a texting list -- just 2% -- do so by responding to a offline pleas to text a shortcode from their mobile phone. But, finds the study, once joined, those members can be responsive allies. Texters respond to requests to make an advocacy phone call at a rate some five times that of those folks who are called to action via email.

How Campaigns + Causes Can Use FourSquare

What is foursquare? foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things. The tool was developed to not only help you keep up with the places your friends go, but to also encourage you to discover new places and challenge you to explore your neighborhood in new ways. Most importantly for campaigns though, it allows your supporters to easily notify their networks that they are volunteering and working in your campaign office.

Social Media: The New Career Norm

Last week, several signs came together to further underline the fact
that social media is no longer an emerging trend or passing fad, and
that it's gone beyond the realm of the personal and become a
fully-fledged part of our working lives.

3 Reasons Why You Need a Facebook Page

I tell everyone–clients, friends, family, random strangers, you name it–that they need a Facebook Page. All the time. I’ve done blog posts on it, PubCon presentations with standing room only, internal meetings at work. Some people get it; others seem convinced that Facebook, and the rest of social media, is just a passing fad, and that a website alone will serve them well for years to come.

Why Auto-Retweeting Every Single Mention of Your Name Might Not Be the Smartest Move

It's a cutting-edge Twitter tactic that Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn seems to currently be  making use of. Seriously, it's kinda difficult to believe that this ever seemed like a sensible idea.

When I first saw this video for John Cornyn's introduction to the Republican Party of Texas 2008 Convention this past week, I nearly spit out my Coke Zero. I thought: seriously? Take a look and then read below.

Big John

The over-produced and tad too long intro (IMHO). The corny music. The over-the-top messaging. Referring to anyone as "Big." The ending... "Senatooooorrrrrr Johhhhnnn Corrnynnnnnn."

But then I remembered the audience. I took myself out of DC for a moment and thought about what a Texan might find interesting and worth clicking/emailing to friends. Indeed, I took a closer look at how many views the video had racked up (over 20k).

And that made me re-think my doubts. I watched it again with a closer eye.

The narration, it's familiar but I can't quite place it. It reminds me of the dude from the Big Lebowski. No, not Jeff Bridges (Jeff Lebowski -- The Dude), or Steve Buscemi (Donny), or even John Goodman (Walter). That's Sam Elliot doing the narration isn't it? If not, you could have fooled me.

So I'm doing a 180 degree flip-flop and admitting it to you valued TechRepublican readers. This video is solid. It's not meant for the latte crowd or the beltway boys, it's meant for delegates to the RPT Convention. And it's really, really good. The visuals match the message and add a little sugar to help the medicine go down.

This is a great example of an excellent communicator (John Cornyn) putting together an excellent piece of rich content right for the audience, and then following-up that dish by putting it out through a modern channel (YouTube) to let it go on its own. Porridge to you Senator Cornyn et al.

(Now I just need a Shout wipe for that Coke Zero.)