Long before President Trump ran for office he had a profound effect on the national media through his use of Twitter and social media. He is the first President to speak his mind freely in such a public forum. This has created a new force for the world in regard to Social Media Marketing. His words, rants, or opinions can be seen at any time and by anyone with an Internet connection. Many people even follow his streams directly, getting instant updates of these opinions and thoughts. Is this the wave of the future, will more presidents, leaders, and dictators take to social media marketing platforms to promote their beliefs as a strategy? It makes sense to a degree since President Trump currently has 28M followers on Twitter. That is a lot of marketing power! He currently ranks #42 in the Twitter stratosphere of popularity. Interestingly enough, Ex-President Barrack Obama is #3 with 87M behind only Katy Perry 97M, and Justin Bieber 93M (Twittercounter.com). With a few swipes of his thumbs President Trump is able to reach an audience that is larger than the highest rated television show typically drawing 12-15M viewers. His tweets have been correlated to a drop in the S&P 500 healthcare index by .54% causing losses for large pharmaceutical manufacturers. After a tweet about Lockheed Martin’s cost overruns, the company’s stock dropped 2.1%.
Without any controls, the President can type anything at any time. Currently there are no controls on what he is saying or doing in Social Media. Along with the tweets about healthcare he has verbally attacked individuals who oppose him, along with news media and companies.
There is seemingly no limit to what the President might say through social media at this point. Ultimately we are yet to see a major effect from any of these social media postings, but as long as the President has a following he will have a platform to market his opinions openly. If this begins to have a tangible influence on people, companies, and politics, the world will begin to change through Social Media marketing more than it ever has or ever was possible. Many companies turn to Social Media to spread its word, so it only makes sense that any individual with enough followers could have enough influence to create change or wreak havoc!
Image sources: Twitter.com
John Weissgerber is an MBA student in the Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University, where he majors in International Business. He can be reached at jw1922@nova.edu
#1 by Denny Farhan on 8/21/17 - 10:53 AM
#2 by Gina Borges on 9/11/17 - 2:20 PM
#3 by Anita Pearson on 9/11/17 - 5:32 PM
I think the most important takeaway from this blog post is that the President literally can type and post anything whenever he wants. He is tweeting based out of emotion (most of the time), rather than using strategic marketing. If Trump was to reevaluate the way he used social media to have a strategy, he could definitely improve his following and have an even greater effect on various markets. It is extremely important for everyone, both individuals and organizations, to use social media marketing forums strategically and responsibly in order to avoid any detrimental reactions. As stated in the final paragraph of the blog post, social media has the power to create change or to wreak havoc. This is why I think the topic of responsibility in the use of social media is critical, especially nowadays. Outside of President Trump, there have been numerous occasions where persons of interest (i.e. celebrities, newscasters, etc.) have posted their opinions online and they have come back to haunt them. Social media can be a very tricky subject, and I think more light needs to be shed on the importance of responsibility.
#4 by Jodi-Ann Burchell on 9/12/17 - 3:59 PM
Donald Trump’s tweets have shown that if used to demean certain companies or people it can have a tremendous effect on their reputation. As we have seen that it can even effect the stock market! Social Media marketing can be the wave of the future but without any controls it can also be detrimental. If known how to be used properly I think that many people/businesses can utilize it to their advantage.
#5 by Bre Sawyer on 9/12/17 - 9:29 PM
President Trump has used Twitter extensively during his 8.5 months as a President. In my opinion he has used Twitter for its intended purposes however, he has also utilized Twitter as a reactionary device. Many of his Tweets are full of condescending emotions rather than establishing strong foundations and clarifying his viewpoints.
Apart from President Trump and Twitter social media has allowed us to gain information quickly. It has also given people an instantaneous way to read others opinions in order to create a viewpoint that best resonates with them. An issue that prevails is the sharing of false news. President Trump refers to this viral spreading of illegitimate facts as “Fake News”. This “Fake News” enables Twitter users to create unsubstantiated opinions and facilitates slander.
Social media allows lies and false facts to become widespread, as users it is important we research stories and pictures to ensure we are not conduits of slander. Social media can be such a powerful tool for people with strong authority.
#6 by Lester Moses on 9/13/17 - 1:19 AM
Donald Trump himself is one of the most notable brands created by an individual. Donald Trump mastered using publicity good and bad to his advantage. A bold personality, loud voice, confidence, and a good bluff gave Donald his start and he used any attention to maximize making “bigly” deals with the city of New York in the 1970s. This was a part of Donald Trump’s product strategy (himself) in his bid to run for President of the United States. Using the boom of Hollywood along with the media, Donald Trump publicized his large real estate deals as much as he could. He further gained attention for marrying beauty queens and showcasing his lavish lifestyle. It is during this time that Donald evaluated running for President for the first time. During the 2000s Donald Trump became the main star of a show called the Apprentice. This delivered Donald Trump, a successful man, into the homes of millions of Americans and people around the world.
This remarkable career helped to differentiate Donald Trump from everyone else in the United States who would even think of running for President. A normal politician did not look like Donald Trump. Donald’s brand, no nonsense personality, apparent success was appealing to many Americans.
These combination of events placed Donald much like a new product to wow the market. The birth of social media gave anyone an audience to further market themselves and Donald Trump used it to use his platform to challenge controversial topics such as former President Obama’s birther issue. Being a master of tabloids and how to draw a headline, Donald used the new medium that reached more people to do what he does best, tweet. This old technique with a new form is natural to marketing and to Donald Trump.
As for the stock market responding to Donald Trump’s tweets, this is the power of his brand as well as being the leader of the free world. His new found power lends him some weight because of who America is in the world.
Interesting post.
#7 by Flavia Rossi on 9/13/17 - 12:29 PM
#8 by Kiril Mandalov on 9/13/17 - 3:11 PM
As for the effect of the presidents tweets I will agree and say that it has a colossal impact not only on our social structures but also economical. For example, with every single presidential tweet, the volatility index (VIX) is in motion, whether going up or down the scale.
#9 by Gabrielle Robinson on 9/13/17 - 10:07 PM
All in all, he is the leader of the United States of America and should act as such. If he wants respect from citizens then he should act in a way to gain respect.
#10 by Dalini Dhaniram on 9/13/17 - 10:10 PM
#11 by Courtney Desmond-Smith on 9/14/17 - 2:23 AM
While I disagree with the way the current President uses his platform to communicate, I do agree that social media can be a powerful tool to reach the people of this great nation. During President Obama’s presidency, he was coined, “The first social media President.” In 2015, President Barack Obama sent his inaugural tweet as @POTUS, and shortly after the lovely First Lady Michelle Obama, as @FLOTUS. President Obama was the first leader to go live on Facebook, use Snap chat (He liked the filters also), shared photos on Instagram, and delivered his weekly national address on You Tube. Donald Trump inherited all of social media handles as part of the transition.
The difference between Donald Trump and President Obama is the current occupant of the White House is reckless and at most times inappropriate. His Tweets reflect the unpredictability of his presidency. A Tweet from him can insight more racial unrest or can state that Global Warming is something “Made Up.” Since his Tweets can be considered official statements from the President of the United States, he is constantly reminded that constitutionally he should not exclude individuals on the basis of viewpoints.
In conclusion, while many supporters and adversaries, would love to see him turn that cellphone over to someone else, we all can see that for the remainder he most likely remain in charge of that communication.
#12 by Natalie Mero on 9/14/17 - 2:05 PM
#13 by Kristina Salasevicius on 9/14/17 - 3:05 PM
#14 by Bradley Scott on 9/14/17 - 4:56 PM
#15 by Eliette Barrios on 9/14/17 - 10:19 PM
#16 by Kenisha Brown on 9/14/17 - 10:35 PM
Thank You for sharing John
#17 by Nicole Franco on 9/15/17 - 4:12 PM
On the other hand, looking at how influential the president is on social media, it is no doubt that social media can be an effective tool for companies. Consumers are heavily involved in social media and are easily influenced by social media. Companies who move towards a social media stance can reach more of their targeted audiences and market through the use of social media mediums. As a communications professional, I have seen just how influential and effective a social media presence can be for a company. It is not only effective to have a social media presence as the president, but also as a professional in the corporate world.
#18 by Jessica Crlenjak on 9/16/17 - 12:54 PM
#19 by Tim Buchanan on 9/17/17 - 8:44 PM
#20 by ciera campbell on 9/18/17 - 1:28 PM
#21 by Maria Bonilla on 9/19/17 - 1:41 PM
#22 by Fernando E. Villar-Fornes on 9/20/17 - 12:52 PM
The influence of a person is based on how many followers an individual could get. Where, we can see the effects of President’s influence on American society. Example of it the supremacist movement, which is reflected on social reactions as racism and power abuse among citizens. In the case of political relations is reflected on the withdrawal of U.S from Paris’ Environmental Agreement. But, this all happens because the lack of behavioral control presented on Trump. However, this situation is also marketing. If you want to get a reaction from the world you need to provide them what they need and wants. If we contrast Obamas’ behavior and Trump’s behaviors you could see the image of one is positive and the other is the opposite side. The same way marketing works, we want to promote a product which we will present the best characteristics of it. Where to obtain these characteristics, you need to compare it with your competitor’s product. I believe the usage of social media in political affairs is good because shows the reality of the person, not the political face. Also, I think Trump’s social assessors need to control more his reactions, because he is the person who represents a country and need to behave as a president not as a regular being.
Marketing is an amazing world where we work with negative and positive aspects to promote any idea or product. Where, social media is the fastest tool to achieve any approach with the world. This case is not the exception. But, reflects the need of personal control at the time to express an opinion. Since, opinions could affect anyone in any aspect, which we as individual need to think before post or say something that could affect others. Is the same with this case of Twitter and Trump, anyone could get access to these tools and use it in a negative way, and promote wrong ideas to the world.
#23 by Brittany Madison on 9/21/17 - 11:28 PM
#24 by Tracy Villanueva on 9/22/17 - 10:58 AM
I personally do not have a twitter or facebook account, because to be honest, no one really cares what I have to say. I am not a celebrity or someone with political power. I do have a private Instagram account with only 50 followers whom are all my family members and used for the purpose of keeping in touch since they are across the country nor overseas. Professionally I manage my employers social media account and find it to be useful to communicate with the community.
With the president having a Twitter account....well, I do not see a problem with that. It allows everyone to be updated on issues with the touch of a button if they do not keep up with news on television. What does concern me is that negative opinions of the president are being displayed like some sort of side show. I do not have a faith when the POTUS rants and complains about serious issues. It makes me believe that they will make decisions without thinking. In my opinion if POTUS just NEEDS to have a social media account, it should be closely monitored. I am not just saying this because of Donald Trump, but for all presidents and politicians.
#25 by Chrisnel Merasse on 9/22/17 - 10:58 PM
#26 by Maira Rolle on 9/22/17 - 11:32 PM
#27 by Alejandro Warwar on 9/23/17 - 9:08 PM
Alejandro Warwar
#28 by Noushka Belizaire on 9/24/17 - 8:28 PM
#29 by Estefanny Ayala on 9/24/17 - 9:36 PM
Social Media will be eventually become one of the main platforms for business to promote their products. Businesses will be able to reach a wider range of consumers and more effectively.
#30 by Krista Locklin on 9/24/17 - 10:26 PM
#31 by Phillip Soven on 9/25/17 - 2:55 PM
#32 by Sean McCuaig on 9/27/17 - 4:55 PM
#33 by Marc Vierra on 9/29/17 - 9:09 PM
#34 by Jenna Beavon on 2/13/18 - 5:51 PM