We are all paying close attention to the accumulated track record of the Obama campaign in social media. It is the new "gold standard" - certified as much by the outcome of the election. There will be books written (hopefully) by the team dissecting all that they did and how each strategy and tactic worked or did not. As a voracious reader and a improving teacher, that is one book in the sea of inane same-books on social media that I am looking forward to.
Micro-engagement
One of my favorite strategies that the Obama campaign adopted was best articulated by ZeFrank. It's about micro-engagements or small things people can do amongst larger things that require more commitment. Think of it as a sliding scale of engagement from simple and quick to deep and rewarding. Whe ZeFrank was doing The Show, he was publishing the video above a comment string. He noticed that participants would leap into the string once a new video was posted and just type in "I'm first!", "I second", "I made it third..." and so on. That's all those users added to the conversation. Now, a more traditional content creator might get upset. ZeFrank saw the opportuntity - there were participants (can't just call them "viewers" as they play an active role) who just wanted a small form of interaction, a short and easy way to play a part. He created a series of simple clickable dingbats, easter-egg-y type interactions on teh main screen to give them a little more to interact with and keep them engaged at the level they clearly wanted to be.
The Obama campaign offered that same sliding scale of engagement. Just look at their Downloads section of their site. From blog buttons and widgets to the big blue posters for printing to campaign videos, users can take elements of teh campaign and apply them to their blog, website, office cubicle, front lawn. The camapaign will be known for mobilizing grassroots action - call centers, canvassing, voter protection, etc.. yet their understanding that everyone can do something and the long tail of those somethings can add up is a big part of their insight.
Takeaway: People come in all shapes and sizes and want different levels of engagement. Don't just offer one way to interact or get involved. Don't just offer two - add as many as possible. Use the social Web as a guide: buttons, widgets, RSS feeds, bookmark icon galleries, one-click send this to a friend and more. And pay attention to your participants. As ZeFrank found out, they will tell you or show you what they want. And make sure that matters to you.
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