Donald Trump uses social media to power campaign

World Today

Donald Trump may be running to be the U.S. president, but he’s already likely the king of Twitter. Trump’s quest for the Republican presidential nomination is being fueled, in part, by his reliance and dominating presence on social media. His tweets make news nearly every day.

CCTV America’s Hendrik Sybrandy examines the Trump Twitter phenomenon and how it’s playing into his campaign.

Donald Trump is a master of the declarative sentence. He is clear. He is concise.

“He speaks in soundbites,” CU Denver Social Media Manager Matthew Kaskavitch said about Trump.

“He is a media mastermind,” Univ. of Denver Assistant Professor Derigan Silver added.

“He is a soundbite candidate,” Metropolitan State University of Denver Professor Samuel Jay also said.

Which is why he and Twitter may be a match made in political heaven, as Trump is using social media like no politician has before.

“He doesn’t have a filter and that works really well on Twitter,” Jay said.

Donald Trump’s tweets stand out because they trigger high arousal emotions, Kaskavitch said.

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“The content that he posts traditionally goes around two things: shock and surprise, and fear,” Kaskavitch said.

Recently Trump tweeted: “Wow, Sen. Cruz. That is some low-level ad you did using a picture Melania in a G.Q. shoot. Be careful or I will spill the beans on your wife.”

That tweet was since deleted, Mediaite reports.

The veteran of reality television knows how to grab the traditional media’s attention, Silver of the University of Denver said.

“All he has to do is tweet something really outrageous the night before,” Silver said. “Boom, he’s now not only in front of the public but he’s sucking up airtime that could be used to cover other candidates, other topics, other issues.”

The approach has worked, at least in terms of numbers: Trump’s more than 31,000 tweets, one more provocative than the other, have garnered well over seven million Twitter followers.

“Saying something stupid does not hurt Trump,” Silver said.

Certainly not with his followers who by re-tweeting his messages, experts say, help solidify his support.

“Trump’s Twitter base is just so massive that it’s not just what he says but once it’s out there they do the work for him,” Jay said.

Trump’s tweets are now a part of pop culture, they even garnered big laughs when singer Josh Groban put them to music on late-night television.

In a year when U.S. voters crave authenticity in their candidates, Donald Trump is providing it, 140 characters at a time. It may not win him the White House but campaigns may never be the same.

“Those people that love him, love him for the tweets,” Silver said.