ABSTRACT
This chapter examines three major social media platforms—YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter—and how they have been utilized by campaigns. Campaigns are increasingly using multiple online and social media tools to reach voters to boost the reach of their advertising. YouTube is the most prominent video-sharing website in the world and is the home of the vast majority of online streaming videos. No social media advertising discussion would be complete without considering Facebook, as 58 percent of the US adult population and 71 percent of adult Internet users are on Facebook. Earned online media refers to the dissemination of campaign messages through social media users who watch and share videos, images, or other messages, post and like them on Facebook, or retweet them on Twitter. Campaigns may be speaking to young people about one issue through online platforms while talking about different issues to older people through television advertising.
