News on Facebook

Studies show that only a mere six percent of Americans view news on Facebook related to politics.  So is this content relevant to post or should be left alone?  Although the numbers may reveal that news on Facebook may not be as popular as other topics it could definitely be argued that these posts may be very popular within certain niches, so its largely circumstantial.

Is this the case for social media in particular or are politics ignored on other mediums as well?

News on Facebook | Politically Apathetic

Here are some astonishing facts from the study concerning news on Facebook and the overall drop of interest in politics across all media mediums:

The study, which analyzed how Americans are watching the 2012 presidential race, also found that interest is down from 2008 across mediums. 29 percent of respondents have said they’re following news about the election “very closely,” down from 34 percent the same time last year.

The campaign has lost the interest of many young Americans. In 2008, 31 percent of people aged 18-29 said they were paying close attention to the political showdown. This time around, only 20 percent are dialed in.

http://mashable.com/2012/02/08/facebook-twitter-political-news/

This goes back to the point that news on Facebook may work in some niches but not others, for example if your business is related to investing, politics, or a similar niche then posting political news with compelling copy could really ignite interaction and conversation amoung your friends or fans.  We know this works because we’ve implemented this type of strategy for clients.  Some words of advice: Be careful what stance you take with issues like this, its always better to remain neutral to avoid alienating any of your fans.

News on Facebook | Young Tune Out, Over 30 Tune In

Here are some interesting facts for news on Facebook and how even though the younger generation largely ignores political news on the internet there has been a recent surge in the past few years for folks over 30.

However, people over 30 are using the Internet as their primary source of campaign news more often in 2012 than in 2007. And the Internet is still the place where young people who are engaged with politics turn for their politics fix, followed closely by cable news. The 18-29 age group also ranked Facebook as the place where they most often learn “something” about the political campaign, even if it’s not their primary source for news.

http://mashable.com/2012/02/08/facebook-twitter-political-news/

While many say that politics and social media don’t mix, most of the candidates in the upcoming race rely heavily on marketing their campaigns across social media and some have seen their content and posts go viral, especially President Barack Obama and Ron Paul.

Here’s a snipet from a recent blog post on our site about the political social media leaders and news on Facebook:

Also as we mentioned, Ron Paul on Facebook is second only to President Obama, thats in the “people talking about” category.  If you are unfamiliar with “people talking about” you can read about it on Black Box.  So whose next to Ron Paul on Facebook as far as viral reach?  That would be candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, and Michelle Bachman leads the Republicans for one on one interaction with fans.

https://blackboxsocialmedia.comron-paul-on-facebook-hes-1/

What do you think about news on Facebook, do you check out political posts?

Image attribution: