Share, Much? Social Media Hits the Hill

Which gets your attention: Social media or email? If you’re a member of Congress, it’s most definitely the former. A Congressional poll found that it takes less than 10 comments on Facebook or Twitter to get their attention. Yes, really.

The study, which was reported in Connectivity, showed that Capitol Hill communications and legislative directors–the through line to lawmakers–are grabbed by social media sharing far more quickly than email.

Email is seen as a “less authentic” means of communication than tweets. But “thunderclaps,” in which a prearranged tweet is shared simultaneously, are inauthentic as well.

But when “tweets and comments on an issue appear over the course of many days on social media accounts, staffers will notice. These repeated interactions have to have a human element: simply tweeting or posting the exact same language over and over again will not convince staff that a real constituent concern is being expressed.”

So keep commenting, sharing and posting about the importance of reducing toxic chemicals in our lives! Someone, somewhere, is listening.