We have seen it and heard about it time and again, but the Obama campaign is capitalizing on social media use and setting some great examples for nonprofits and other social change campaigns looking to try something new.  Without any candidate endorsement, we can look at the success the Obama camp has had and try it out in our own work!

Newest in the playbook: iPhone app

On the official Barak Obama website ,supporters can now download and use the Obama iPhone application.  As the site explains, the features include:

• Call Friends: A great volunteering tool that lets you make a difference any time you want by talking to people you already know. Your contacts are prioritized by key battleground states, and you can make calls and organize results all in one place.
• Call Stats: See nationwide Obama ’08 Call Friends totals and find out how your call totals compare to leading callers.
• Get Involved: Do more. Find and contact your local Obama for America HQ.
• Receive Updates: Receive the latest news and announcements via text messages or email.
• News: Browse complete coverage of national and local campaign news.
• Local Events: Find local events, share by email and get maps and directions.
• Media: Browse videos and photos from the campaign
• Issues: Get clear facts about Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s plan for essential issues facing Americans.

What does this mean?  They are putting all of the campaigning tools in the hands of supporters, and not just giving them the options but putting them right onto the screen where it is one touch away from an action.  Volunteer support has never been easier!

More Social Media Tools

The Obama campaign is taking advantage of  much more than the iPhone.  It is using a wiki to organize volunteers, Twitter to keep followers in the loop play-by-play, Facebook apps to show support, and even a branded social network to connect supporters.  An important part of successful social media use that the campaign is really capitalizing on is meeting your supporters where they already are, where they are already talking about you or making up their minds to support you are not.

In Other Words

There has been a lot of coverage about the Obama campaign’s smart use of social media from all corners of the web.  To read more, check out these links:

• From Read/Write/Web
• From AdvertisingAge
• From NTEN (The Nonprofit Technology Network)

Have any of Obama’s social media tactics caught your eye?  Are there any lessons you’ve learned or tricks you plan to try at your organization?