Government affairs is an information game built on having access to information so that you know when and how to engage. The traditional way of doing government affairs limits information to news, trade associations, legislative websites, and other lobbyists or team members. Limiting yourself to just those sources means you are slowed waiting for a reporter to publish a story, a trade association to post on their website, or congress.gov to refresh. However, you can get the information faster by going straight to the primary source of social media.
Every year, each Member of Congress sends an average of 629 tweets, 390 Facebook posts, and posts 97 press releases totaling hundreds of thousands of words. Many organizations leave this valuable source of information unmonitored.
There are over 1700 statements coming from Capitol Hill every day and it can be overwhelming. However, a legislative tracking system that includes social media monitoring can help you sort through all the information and pull out just the posts relevant to your organization or issues. When your organization or issues are referenced in these social posts, it can give you new engagement opportunities.
Read More About: Incorporating Trade Associations Into Your Lobbying Efforts
Here are a few examples of how you can work smarter and move faster by using social media to identify engagement opportunities with stakeholders:
React Faster
Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017
In the case of this statement, Toyota was alerted quickly to the President’s 2017 comments on social media and could expedite a response.
Share Economic Impact
Today, I visited the @HomeDepot in Venice, FL. I toured the store, discussed their “Doing More for Veterans Program,” and even got my own apron! Looking forward to doing everything I can in DC to support jobs & private enterprise in Florida’s 17th District! Thanks for having me! pic.twitter.com/62f7wyba5H
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) February 20, 2019
In this case, you can send a quick note asking about their experience at your store, while sharing economic impact data on the impact your organization has on the district.
Promote Your Issues
Today, I held a business roundtable meeting at my office with business owners, entrepreneurs & industry leaders to discuss the impacts of tariffs and Trump’s trade wars, updates on the USMCA in Congress, and how we can encourage American innovation and entrepreneurship. pic.twitter.com/sLhv890Dwh
— Rep. Tony C√°rdenas (@RepCardenas) August 15, 2019
In this case, this is a statement that you want to actively promote so others see that Members of Congress are supporting your issues.
Quorum can help you to track all of these statements and make sure that you get an e-mail alert the moment there is a stakeholder engagement opportunity so you never miss a mention of your organization.