The Republic National Committee has added a new tool to its arsenal in the high-stakes battle for the lifetime allegiance of Millennial voters. FarmVille, a popular Facebook application game with over 80 million monthly users, allows players to “grow delicious fruits and vegetables and raise adorable animals on your very own farm!”

The RNC is hoping to capitalize on the “neighbors” component of the game. Neighbors, who are friends and contacts who connect with each other through the game, allow players to level up faster and accumulate more plants, animals, and decorations for their farm. The idea is to turn their FarmVille neighbors into fans of the RNC Facebook page as a foot-in-the-door to more meaningful outreach and participation.

The official RNC Farmville account will be managed by staffers within the organization’s new media department. A video explaining the new program has been posted to YouTube.

Come on Democrats, you let the RNC beat you to FarmVille. You have to at least try for Mafia Wars.

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One of the biggest complaints I hear about organizing on Facebook is the difficulty in getting people to actually show up to events that are promoted on Facebook. By using the social psychology principles of social proof and consistency/commitment you should be able to dramatically increase your event turnout.

Social Proof

According to Dr. Robert Cialdini, the principle of social proof “states that one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct.”

This is the principle that bar and club owners use when they keep people waiting in line outside even though there is space available inside: you are creating the perception that the place is popular in order to make more people want to go there. If people like the place so much that there is a line to get in, it must be good.

In terms of Facebook events, you want to increase the amount of social evidence showing that people want to attend your event while limiting the social evidence that shows people not wanting to attend your event.

Hide “Not Attending” RSVPS: When you create a Facebook event, you have the option to hide people that have declined the event invitation. This feature exists largely because of the social proof principle. If someone is checking out your event page and see 42 people attending but 231 people declined, even without consciously thinking about it social proof disinclines them from attending (the exception being when the attendees are in the person’s own social network providing a more intense social proof).

Have a core group of people RSVP for an event before sending mass invites: Most people create their event and immediately invite everyone and their mother. Unfortunately this means that the people that view the invitation early on are going to see an event that looks unpopular. By first inviting the people that you already know are planning on coming to the event, the mass round of invitees will see what appears to be a more popular event.

Commitment/Consistency

“Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment.”

Follow up on RSVPs: In the past I’ve talked about how an RSVP on Facebook is not a true RSVP because people don’t view it on its own as a real commitment. However, by following up with those people that have said they would attend with a phone call, email, or Facebook message you can turn their RSVP into an “exploitable public commitment.” Here is an example:

Hey Kevin, it’s [Name] from [Event Host Org]. I am calling/emailing because you said that you would be attending our event on [Date] and wanted to make sure you had all of the details. If you have any questions let me know. Look forward to seeing you on [Day].

This tells the person you are calling that their commitment to attend (RSVP) was noticed. In the case of a phone call, you can get them to recommit based on their prior commitment, which has a much stronger effect.

By using these tactics based on the principles of social proof and consistency, you will be much more effective at growing attendance for your events.

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It looks like the “Coffee Party Movement” is starting to get serious about online organizing. I just saw this Facebook ad to drive traffic to their Facebook Fan Page, which currently sits at just under 100,000 fans.

Their Facebook strategy appears to run on the central-hub model, with a national Coffee Party Page and child pages for major cities across the United States that can be found on the Favorite Pages section of the hub.

The Tea Party Patriots Fan Page has only 107,000 fans, and I expect that with this active recruiting the Coffee Party will overtake it in the next 48 hours.

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Earlier today President Obama answered questions submitted through CitizenTube via the White House Live Facebook application.

I had hoped to have the video from the question and answer session to embed here, and have been waiting for it since CitizenTube hours ago claimed that it would be available shortly, but unfortunately it is not yet posted. (I’ll add it once it is, whenever that may be).

I was pleased for the most part with the question selection, which included questions about Sudan (an area many Millennials are interested in), net neutrality, college affordability, and one from the Energy Action Coalition about clean energy and the environment.

As for the execution of the session, the video quality was a little choppy and would occasionally stop, requiring a refresh, but the chat/status posting discussion was a nice touch.

On the whole I think the session was a great move and fits in with my belief in taking your message to the places where people live and hang out (even virtually), and Facebook is certainly one of those places.

What are your thoughts about the President’s Q&A over Facebook? What would you like to see next time?

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Imagine a situation out of “To Catch a Predator,” but instead of trying to bust people soliciting underage sex they bust college students for underage drinking.

That’s exactly what the police department in La Crosse, Wisconsin is doing.

The La Crosse police department set up a fake Facebook account for an attractive female student and began sending friend requests to University of Wisconsin students who were under 21. If a student accepted the friend request, the police would scour through that person’s photos looking for evidence of them consuming alcohol. The police then contact the student, and since at that age the authority of a police officer seems unquestionable, many respond:

Mr. Luebker faced similar questioning, and both said they now regretted even responding to the officer’s request to meet. Both had friends who were also drinking in Facebook pictures, but who didn’t talk to the officer and were never ticketed.

When Mr. Luebker and two of his friends were contacted, they said, they were worried what would happen if they didn’t talk to the officer. “We were scared, like, Oh crap,” he said. “I wish I would have said, No, it’s a stupid idea. That’s what you’ve been taught, since ever. Do what the authority tells you to do.”

I think that our generation is about to face a privacy clash.

For many, a Facebook profile is their own personal space where they hang out with friends. Sneaking around someone’s profile is like sneaking around their room. Those that started using Facebook early on knew that everyone on the site had a college email address, leading to an habitual false sense of security . Since then Facebook’s popularity has exploded and has opened up to everyone, but old habits die hard.

It can take a long time to use all of the new privacy settings and organize people into lists of who can see what, and many people have never even attempted to configure them, but now may be a good time to take a crack at it.

Police officers, debt collectors, college administrators, potential employers, and others are now using Facebook to track you down or find dirt on you. We need to be more careful, so I leave you with a couple of things to remember:

• Don’t blanket-accept friend requests – You may have your privacy settings set so that only friends can view your profile, but that isn’t stopping people from sneaking in. Make sure you have an idea about who a person is that is requesting you. The most common espionage account is for an attractive young woman. At a minimum create a list with full limited profile and stick these people in it if for some reason you feel compelled to accept them.
• Don’t post things you don’t want people to see – Regardless of how strong your privacy settings are, once something is on the internet, it’s pretty much there forever. I also suggest being very selective in who can see pictures tagged of you.

Personally I think that what the police is doing in La Crosse is ridiculous and a waste of resources, but it’s going to keep happening and in more places.

What are your thoughts on these Facebook sting operations and/or Facebook privacy?

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If this isn’t the worst Facebook ad I have ever seen, it is right up there.

Rule #1: Never use Microsoft Paint, especially for trying to write text by hand.

Rule #2: Try not to use the phrase “Chubby Singles.”

Rule #3: See Rule #1.

And in case you were wondering, this ad is for BBPeopleMeet.com, though this ad is neither big nor beautiful.

UPDATE: Apparently they saw this, because the ad was just changed. Unfortunately they disregarded Rule #2, and I am pretty sure that text was still done in Paint.

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Future Majority has a shiny new Facebook page. Become a fan and spread the word.

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The Young Democrats Working for America have launched a new Facebook page for the coalition.

Become a fan of the page to show your support for the team and to see travel recaps, announcements, and more.

Check out ydaworks.com as well, the website for the coalition.

If you want to learn more about the YDA Works team, take a look at the slate announcement email from YDA Presidential candidate Crystal Strait:

My name is Crystal Strait and I am leading the YDA Works team as a candidate for President of the Young Democrats of America (YDA).

Please Join the YDA Works Team TODAY!

During my career in politics, as I was serving as a Political Director for the California Democratic Party, as a Communications Director in the state legislature, as a State and local Young Democrat President, and as your female representative to the Democratic National Committee, I have learned that political power is divined only from the strength of your team. I’m writing today to introduce you to (and brag a little bit about) the impressive team that I am running with.

You may already know the YDA Works team. For months now, our team has been traveling around the country sharing our action plan to get YDA working again. While we have made over 50 trips to 27 states to share our vision, we aren’t done yet.

Over the next few weeks, you will be hearing more about our action plan over email, online, by phone, and at the YDA meeting in Houston. Soon, we will be having a series of public town hall style conversations to highlight our action plan to get YDA working again once elected, all while generating much needed discussion and input from the power base of our organizations – local leaders like you.

Today, I want to take this time to introduce to you the YDA Works team in the off chance you haven’t met them before or aren’t familiar with their accomplishments.

The YDA Works Team of Candidates

Rod Snyder is our candidate for Executive Vice President. Rod is an innovative leader from West Virginia with experience as a dynamic YDA Region Director and state chapter president. Most recently Rod was the Campaign Manager for the youngest female member of the West Virginia Legislature. Additionally, Rod has extensive public policy experience, specifically on agricultural and rural issues. He was an active member of the Obama campaign’s Agricultural and Rural Policy Advisory committee.

Isaac Robinson from Michigan is our candidate for Vice President. His experience as a Caucus Chair of the pioneering YDA Labor Caucus makes him a formidable advocate for caucuses in YDA. Whether it is standing up for workers rights at our hotel, or leading the charge for our national efforts advocating for EFCA, Isaac brings labor issues front and center. Additionally, Isaac serves as the political director of the Detroit Teamsters, giving him unique insights and relationships within the labor movement and Michigan politics.

Renee Hartley from Texas is our candidate for Vice President. As President of the Dallas County Young Democrats, the largest local chapter in the country, Renee has a deep understanding of both the challenges facing local chapters and effective strategies for building membership and chapter infrastructure. Whether it is planning a week long of trainings for the YDA Convention in Dallas or being a trainer herself for the Human Rights Campaign, Renee never sits on the sidelines. That is unless, she is watching her son play football or watching her daughter cheer. Renee represents a constituency that has been sorely overlooked as we try to expand YDA: young families.

Colmon Elridge from Kentucky is our candidate for Vice President. Colmon was instrumental in helping rebuild the Kentucky Young Democrats into an energetic and active organization. As a surrogate for Governor and then Senator Barack Obama Colmon has used his experience as a former CDA national leader, and currently as a local chapter president to bring issues affecting young people to the forefront. As Executive Assistant and now Director of the White House Faith Based Initiatives for Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Colmon is experienced in and passionate about direct issue advocacy.

Emily Robinson from Illinois is our candidate for Secretary. Emily has worked at every level of YDA – local, state and national – to make the organization stronger and more responsive, most recently helping to orchestrate the Chicago convention bid and initial planning all while attending law school full-time. A detail-oriented master of multitasking, Emily wants to explore the different and new uses of technology to expand communications capacity for YDA.

Mark Newman from North Carolina is our candidate for Treasurer. Mark is the Chair of the YDA Finance Committee and has expanded YDA’s sustaining giving program – Tomorrow Club. Professionally, Mark has worked in political fundraising, in development at Georgetown University, and is currently the Assistant Director of Development for the School of International Service at American University. Mark has a broad range of fundraising and financial management experience that will enhance our team.

I am proud to lead a slate that is accomplished both within YDA and in the broader political community. As you will realize while getting to know our team, we want to move YDA beyond the rhetoric and focus on results. What YDA Works promises, we will produce. Our team matches excellent political and professional skills with a passion for growing and building YDA into a sustainable leader in youth politics and the Democratic Party.

Throughout my professional career I have been blessed with an ability to put together teams of people who can achieve the tasks set before them. I think you will agree this is an impressive group of leaders that combine rich YDA experience with a practical background that will enable them to serve you and lead as YDA Board Members. This team is the most impressive complete slate of candidates seeking YDA office since I have been a member, and with your support we are going to get YDA working again.

From my time as a local chapter president, state chapter president, and national officer, I have ideas on how we can get YDA working again and I know you do, too.

I look forward to talking with you so we can share our ideas and plan how we move YDA forward, together.

The time for words and finger pointing has passed. Let’s make each of us an example for Young Democrats across America and get to work.

Democratically yours,

Crystal Strait
Candidate for YDA President,
YDA Works

Become a fan of YDA Works on Facebook

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A number of state Young Democrats chapters have created Facebook pages. Here is the list of state pages that I have found. If your state chapter has a Facebook page that isn’t listed here leave a comment and I’ll add it.

Young Democrats of America

Massachusetts

California

Connecticut

Kansas

Nebraska

Missouri

Arkansas

West Virginia

New Hampshire

Maryland

Utah

New York

Idaho

P.S. I still need your support in the DFA Netroots Nation Scholarship Competition, so if you could send a vote my way I would appreciate it.

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I have been spending a lot of time working with Facebook Pages recently, and I wanted to share some best practices that I have picked up.

Status Updates

Status updates are the bread and butter of Facebook Pages. They are your primary source of communication and through likes and comments the primary source of interaction by your fans. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your updates:

• Update Frequently – But not too frequently. You want to find that happy medium where your fans are engaged but not turned off. Your updates will appear in your fans’ home feeds, so you should provide content that will be of interest to them. You want your page to be active, since it in turn reflects on the activity of your organization, but you don’t want to appear spammy.
• Be Personal – When I post an update to the Young Democrats of America page, I include my name before the update. People prefer to know with whom they are communicating, and unless you identify yourself in your update it will feel impersonal.
• Ask Questions, Encourage Interaction – Your Facebook Page shouldn’t be a one-way communications tool. Fans have the opportunity to communicate with you and with each other. Asking questions encourages your fans to comment on your updates, which elicits a feeling of participation as well as boosting the exposure of your page (updates that receive a lot of interaction appear on the homepage sidebar). It also provides you with an opportunity to learn more about your fans.
  

• Share – You shouldn’t solely post updates based on your own content. If you see a news article that would be interesting and relevant to your fans, share it. If an allied organization is doing something impressive, let your fans know.
• Promote and Recognize Members/Chapters – If one of your members or chapters is doing something interesting, received press coverage, or wrote a great article, share it with your fans. People like to know what other members and chapters are doing, and your members/chapters that you mention will appreciate the recognition.
• Don’t Update Using Twitter – While Facebook Page status updates and tweets seem like similar media, there are differences between the two, and using a one-size-fits-all approach will not be as effective. Though you may end up sending the same update to both sometimes, it should be a case-by-case decision.

Content

Status updates aren’t your only communications tool on your page. Here are some tips for other types of content:

• Blog Syndication – If your organization has a blog or website with an RSS feed you should import the posts into your page using Facebook notes. This will increase the reach of your blog content and help drive your fans to your website.
• Multimedia – You can share photos and videos on your Facebook page, and often this content generates the most response from fans. Post multimedia content from events, rallies, campaign videos and photo galleries, etc.
• Help Fans Connect to You – You should make it easy for your fans to connect to you on different platforms through your page. Occasionally share your website, Twitter account, YouTube or Flickr accounts, etc. You want your fans to be as engaged in your organization as possible.

Insights

Insights is the built-in analytics tool for your Facebook page. It is important to keep track of the statistics of your page and fans in order to chart your progress in growth and engagement.

Through Insights you can see how many new fans you have added each day compared to the number of fans that have removed themselves, which is a good way to measure whether you are posting too frequently or not enough. You can also see how engaged your fans are with your content.

Another useful feature is the ability to look at the demographic of your fan base by age, gender, and location.

Conclusions

Your Facebook Page can be an extremely useful communications and engagement tool if used effectively. Hopefully these tips will help you improve your results. If you have any of your own best practices for Facebook Pages, please share them in the comments.

P.S. I still need your support in the DFA Netroots Nation Scholarship Competition, so if you could send a vote my way I would appreciate it.

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