The Side Note

The latest on how social media can make a big difference.

A story in the Wall Street Journal, by Susan Davis, gives great support for Scott Brown’s social media strategy, specifically his use of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, being more effective and making a big difference in the outcome of the Senate Race in Massachusetts yesterday (1/19/10).

Atwitter in Mass.: Brown’s Social Media Strategy Tops Coakley’s

Below is an excerpt from the WSJ story:

A study conducted by the Emerging Media Research Council out today found that Brown had a more effective strategy of using social networking tools including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to promote his campaign and connect with supporters.

Here’s a look at the numbers:

Facebook Posts since Jan. 1: Brown (128), Coakley (58)

Facebook Fans: Brown (70,800), Coakley (13,529)

Tweets since Jan. 1: Brown (142), Coakley (144)

Twitter Followers: Brown (9,679), Coakley (3,385)

YouTube Videos: Brown (57), Coakley (52)

YouTube Video Views: Brown (578,271), Coakley (51,173)

What are your thoughts? Do you think that social media really had an effect on the outcome? What have you seen? What are your experiences? We all know social media can make a difference in an election, but do you think social media changing the election process?