John S. Wolfe

The AZIMA panel, from left: moderator Evan Wyloge of the Arizona Capitol Times, Democrat Kevin Spidel, and Republican Jeremy Vaught.

If you thought social media was all fun and games and engaging with friends, look out!

The political world is on to it and is looking for ways to manipulate – ahem, inform — you, just as they have with traditional media.

Two well-known political consultants in Arizona – Republican Jeremy Vaught, who is working on the McCain re-election campaign, and Kevin Spidel, a Democrat volunteering for the Goddard for Governor team – shared their perspectives during the Sept. 14 meeting of AZIMA at the Scottsdale Hilton. Evan Wyloge, new-media specialist for the Arizona Capitol Times, served as moderator of the hour-long chat.

Vaught and Spidel are rivals but friends, and the evening involved good-natured jabs. They both agree with the notion, articulated by Vaught, that social media teams “don’t create the message, we describe it.”

“The difference between working with companies and working with politicians is that, in business, opposing companies aren’t showing up at your events and filming you and actively bashing you,” Vaught said. “There’s a lot of messaging going on that may not be your messaging.”

Spidel pointed out that such actions are part of the process.

“We want to maximize exposure to blunders,” he said.

Spidel advocates “rocking the data”: looking at voter files, assessing trending data and identifying sentiments.

Political consultants are now accessing tons of marketing data, just as corporations do, he said. They are targeting segments of the population.

“We can identify ‘cat lovers’ and create a direct-mail campaign,” Spidel said. “There’s a tool – Aristotle 360 – that can provide a social footprint for each individual.”

Politicians are using all of this information to hone appeals for contributions.

They can match a $500 donor to a friend or neighbor and then use the donor’s name in a phone call soliciting a contribution, Spidel said.

Campaigns are also spending a lot of time “listening” – following what bloggers are saying about the candidate. They look to influence bloggers who are passionate about an issue.

Vaught shared that Sen. John McCain stops by his desk every day to hear what’s being said. He then gave a dead-on impression of the 74-year-old Arizona senator checking in on the social media team.

Politicians are using the same social media tools to attract voters. Video endorsements from “average” citizens appear on YouTube, voters can “like” a candidate on Facebook and comment on issues, and supporters are encouraged to use Twitter to hype attendance at rallies.

The Democrats have created a page Organizing for America on Facebook to gain support for President Obama’s re-election. Individuals in each state can learn who’s canvassing for votes and in what areas, if they want to get involved.

Spidel believes mobile-phone apps that will provide depths of information on voting, voters and issues in real time.

“It will change the game dramatically,” he said.