2012 Presidential Election to be Decided on Facebook
No, Congress is not actually proposing a law suggesting that voters select the next US President via Facebook voting. But they may as well be doing so.
Looking at the statistics tells the tale. Presidential elections are about getting your message to the voters, and emotionally swaying them (and their friends) into going to the polls to elect you. And from here… the evidence speaks for itself. First, look at the following chart of Facebook’s latest demographic figures, showing the states with the largest number of users (noting percentage of population Facebook penetrates) :
Next, compare the Facebook list to that of the states with the most Electoral College votes:
California 55
Texas 38
New York 29
Florida 29
Illinois 20
Pennsylvania 20
Ohio 18
Michigan 16
Georgia 16
North Carolina 15
New Jersey 14
Lastly, take a look at this little gem that shows who people trust and listen to when making key buying decisions:
Enough said?
How about if we add the fact that if people share recommendations from within your psychological “sphere of influence” (i.e. from within your Facebook friends list), that has an effective influence rate that approaches 80%?
How about if we compare the Facebook opportunity to get to half the population where the average user logs in 1.3 times per day (for 23:20 each visit) with that of the opportunities that commercials on TV or radio, or blanketing political blogs offers? What television show offers the same exposure? What radio program? What political blog? Answer: None of them. And of that none of them, a vast minority of that none offer insertion of your message into a person’s psychological “sphere of influence”.
Only Facebook.
You think the next presidential election is NOT going to be decided on Facebook? ”Ha!” I reply.
I rest my case. The 2012 Presidential Election is going to be decided on Facebook. No question.
