County Commission | The Magazine January February 2018 | Page 10

FROM THE COVER
“If you’re not there to be in the
conversation, then someone else
will be – and they may not share the
same views that we do.”
Social media matters to
lawmakers because they find it
authentic, it holds them accountable
to their constituents and it allows for
more meaningful interactions.
From an advocacy perspective,
it clearly makes an impact on
legislative decisions. According to a
survey released by the Congressional
Management Foundation,
80 percent of congressional
communication directors indicated
that it would take less than 30
social media responses to get
their congressmen and women to
reconsider their position on a piece
of legislation.
“At the national level, only 30
retweets or 30 comments rocks the
boat,” said Jeannie Gaines, ACCA
Public Relations Manager. “It really
10 | COUNTY COMMISSION
doesn’t take that much.”
For local officials, social media
is an important tool to ensure that
citizens get information that is
accurate and timely. “People get their
news from social media, and you
want it to come from your mouth,”
she said.
Six in 10 Americans get news
on social media, according to a
2016 survey by the Pew Research
Center. That represents a 13 percent
increase compared to 2012, and
there is little reason to
think the trend has
slowed down.
The Association’s
game plan has three
major components.
• During the session, ACCA will
send out draft social media
posts when there is an issue
that needs attention.
• The ACCA's Studio 67 is now
available for members who
want to film brief videos that
can be shared with constituents.
(Turn to page 15 for more on
Studio 67)
• In addition, there's the
ALCountiesTweet contest,
which is a friendly competition
to recognize the county that is
most active on Twitter during
the session. (Turn to page 13 for
more on ALCountiesTweet)
Enhanced social media will
complement – not replace – other
ways of communicating. There
will still be a need for face-to-face
meetings and phone calls, and
the strategies are designed to
work together.
“This is important,” Gaines said.
We’ve done a lot of research on social
media’s impact on the legislative
process, and it works.” n