Missed Connections

The Second Pillar: Interactivity

You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? Then who the hell else are you talking… you talking to me? Well I’m the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? (Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver)

Yesterday, we talked about the First Pillar – frequency. Shooting a lot of tape gives you the raw footage for a workable program. Posting often and on a regular schedule encourages return visits – so people are watching what you shoot.

But…yes, there is a but…the treasure trove of clips also has to be good and doing the right things.

The Second Pillar – interactivity – starts to tackle the discussion of what to do with all of that footage you’re shooting, and what to include in all those finished pieces you are putting up.

Joining the Conversation

Think of it this way…

The internet is a big lunchroom, if you will. There are bunches of tables where people are having different conversations. There are the blogs over here, and the social networking sites over there. You’ve got your listserv and message board tables – nerds! – and the current “cool kids” table, the social video sites…namely YouTube. In this election cycle – at least for right now – YouTube is the big man on campus.

Now, the YouTube lunch table is like any other; a bunch of folks sitting around sharing things. The users talk and listen, and react to what others put up…only with TVs for heads and cameras for eyes.

A little creepy, I know.

Anyone can grab a seat at the tables. When campaigns create a piece, they should poke their computer heads into as many tables as possible. Post it to your site. Put it up at YouTube (and Revver, and Brightcove, and the other hosting sites). Embed it on your MySpace page and your Facebook profile. Put it in diaries at group blogs. Talk about it in comments threads. Email it out to supporters.

Of course, do all of this appropriately. Don’t pimp too hard in the wrong places and come off as the boorish visitor who will be ridiculed and not welcomed back.

Do You Ever Shut Up?

You shouldn’t go into a conversation and just talk in real life, nor should you do it with web videos. Listen too. Use videos to respond to what’s going on out there. Post your videos as responses to those who have questions, or in reaction to criticism.

Candidate video reactions offer a strong rebuttal to criticism, provide “from the horse’s mouth” information on issues, and show that the principals are listening to and caring about what’s being said in the real world.

Plus, imagine how your average YouTuber will feel when a Presidential candidate has not only watched their video, but sent back a reply – in living color, no less! I’d bet good money that the user will post about it on their blog, tell their friends to watch the response, or even embed it somewhere…echoing your message through their own network of readers/viewers.

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Since your videos are now a part of other folks’ conversations; why not strike one up yourself? Ask your viewers questions. Listen to what they say, and reply. Now things are going both ways.

A site from across the pond, Webcameron, has drawn interest for the candidate regularly taking questions from the masses and directly addressing them. This has begun to happen here as well, but isn’t nearly pervasive enough.

For all of the complaints about American journalists only covering the horse race, why aren’t campaigns diving into the meat of their platforms by taking questions from real people – whose queries are often better, tougher, and more relevant than those of their professional counterparts. People don’t amuse themselves talking about who’s up in which poll or which candidate had the stronger first quarter. Let them ask the questions, and they’ll open the door for you to talk about your energy plan, or how you’ll tackle healthcare…and they’ll ask it in a way that drives you to talk to them like human beings.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

The best part is, this doesn’t have to be hard – or too demanding on the time of the candidate. Candidates are busy, they have a lot to do. So devote some good staff work to seeing what’s up at each lunch table. Have staffers look out for questions that will allow you to shine…and if you’re brave, tough ones – which will allow you to shine even more!

Answer questions with footage you already have. Go back to the best clips from stump speeches or policy announcements, and use them as video responses on issues. Just pull out a good line. More people will watch 10 to 30 seconds of a speech as a video response than will watch a minutes-long clip of a static shot from a press conference.

On the really good questions, or to ask one yourself…

It only takes a couple minutes during some down time – be it in the car, or the hold room – to ask or answer a question. Use those few minutes and truly converse. Don’t do multiple takes of a scripted piece in a well-lit “set.” Just grab it and go.

These last two thoughts – to reuse old footage for conversation, and to always be grabbing thoughts from the candidate on the go – actually lead me to the next pillar, so I’ll wrap things up.
These conversations are happening, and it behooves candidates to be a part of them. Take that few minutes to shoot an honest, off the cuff answer to the questions real people care about. It’ll feel much better than having to constantly repeat things like, “We’ll have the resources to be competitive” – which is what you end up saying to a reporter.

Go back to the library for the best lines to address common questions (why not a video FAQ or an “Issues” section made up of video clips?), it’s a much better use than showing a whole speech or making the same sort of event film over and over again. People can see speeches on the news. They don’t need you for that. So, use what’s in the speeches creatively to join the discussion. That’s easy. Devote your energy to give people something they won’t get elsewhere…the Third Pillar: Exclusivity.