Twitter Inc. (NYSE:TWTR) is moving into South American politics. The company is sending its top political strategist to Brazil to advise politicians on the best way to utilize Twitter. Politics in South America, is the second most popular topic after soccer. This offers a great opportunity for Twitter to increase its active user base. South Americans have tended to jump over the traditional internet connection methods, and have embraced the smartphone instead. As a result, social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have a great deal of impact there.
This year several South American countries will be holding elections including Brazil and Columbia. Twitter wants to educate the politicians on the benefits that a microblog can bring to them. It is focusing on how to increase the scope, and speed of campaigns through the use of Twitter. The man responsible is a former congressional aide, Adam Sharp. His role is to promote Twitter as an essential tool for politicians, and the government as a whole.
Sharp says that Latin American leaders have been quick to recognize the power of direct voter communication. His message to them is that “Authenticity is the most critical tactic when it comes to using Twitter in politics.” His aim is to show the local politicians how to use Twitter as a form of dialogue with the voters, rather than just a platform to showcase their electoral promises.
Millions of people follow politicians all over the world on Twitter. Currently, President Obama leads politicians with the most followers at over 42.9 million. These people are a huge advertising market for Twitter and by promoting politicians in South America, it hopes to increase it further.
