Remember Michelle Obama's infamous “Turnip For What” Vine last year? If not, here’s a refresher:
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That Vine was the product of a meticulous social media team, a White House fixture unique to the Obama administration. Unlike her predecessors, the first lady has embraced social media to appeal to a wide audience. On Twitter alone, @FLOTUS has nearly four million followers, which is four million more than Laura Bush had while in office — Mrs. Bush joined Twitter in 2010, after her husband left the presidency. In a profile published Monday on The Verge, writer Kwame Opam explores the first lady’s social media strategies, which is the first digital presence of its kind. Because her office receives virtually no funding, it made sense to spread the first lady’s messages — well — virtually. Crafted with the help of Harvard grads and former Google executives, Michelle’s social brand is “cool, caring, and in touch,” in order to appeal to moms and young people alike. To accomplish such appeal, she uses a range of platforms from Twitter to Vine, and frequently partners with influencers like Chloë Grace Moretz, Tyler Posey, and Tyler Oakley.
"I’ve got two Gen Zers living under my roof," Michelle explains to The Verge. "They don’t think we’re cool at all. But I know what they’re watching on Vine, and I know what they’re giggling about." Perhaps that’s why she’s done so well on the platform. In October, Michelle invited Viners Us the Duo, Lele Pons, King Bach, Jérôme Jarre, Amymarie Gaertner, and Chris Melberger to produce nine promotional clips for her Better Make Room initiative, which have accumulated over 90 million views. Because the Better Make Room campaign pushes teens to set time aside to apply for college (“better make room in your schedule”), it made sense to promote it on a platform used almost exclusively by Gen Zers. The goal was to start a conversation among high school students about the college application process.
Opam notes that “conversation” seems to be a buzzword in the White House — when he counted, he found it was uttered 50 times during his interviews. “Conversation” also seems to be a fluid term — according to the feature, “The first lady wants her audience — young children, teenagers, parents, and soldiers — to discuss the issues she’s advocating for.” At the same time, Michelle is working to promote a cultural conversation on social media, and start a conversation between local officials who can enact change on a micro level. She certainly opened up a national dialogue about obesity with Let’s Move!; girls’ education with Let Girls Learn; higher education with Reach Higher; and veterans’ aid with Joining Forces. In doing so, Michelle has set a formidable precedent for the @FLOTUS social media presence.
