Study: GOP senators beating Dems on social media

Senate Republicans are outpacing their Democratic colleagues on recruiting and communicating with supporters via Twitter and Facebook, according to a new study released Thursday.

George Washington University School of Business Dean Doug Guthrie and Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business, evaluated and ranked the "Digital IQ" of 100 Senators based on their presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The study found Republican Senators are increasing their followings and communicating with supporters at a faster pace than Democrats.

“Social media gives voice to people’s preferences and intentions, demonstrating the affinity for candidates and ideas,” said Galloway. “As a forward-looking indicator, social media following may be a crystal ball for what will happen in the voting booth this November, and it’s looking very red."

The ratings give equal weight to the number of followers a Senator has on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, along with the rate of growth and their amount of engagement (the number of tweets, videos uploaded/downloaded and "Likes" on Facebook). The number of times a Senator is mentioned on blogs and traffic to their websites were also factored in.

“This study underscores the reality that social media is not a toy, and that digital literacy and agility are powerful tools in today’s business and political arenas,” said Guthrie. “It appears that U.S. senators are making their comprehension of the social media realm a priority and are using it as a way to engage prospective voters and mobilize grassroots efforts.”

On average, Republicans boast a digital IG that is 5.5 points higher than their Democratic counterparts. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.) top the rankings, followed by Al Franken (D-Minn.) and John Conryn (R-Texas). The lowest scores went to Sens. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

Senators up for reelection generally lead on every platform, highlighting how campaigns are the most effective means for driving visitors to candidates' social-media offerings. The Republicans' higher scores are a result of their more active participation on Twitter and YouTube, while Democrats retain a five percent advantage on Facebook and see more Web traffic to their Senate.gov sites.

The report also notes that some Republican Senate candidates, such as Carly Fiorina in California and Sharron Angle in Nevada, have huge bases of online support, making it possible the GOP will extend its digital advantage after the midterm elections. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) are the only Democrats up for reelection this year that enjoy large followings online.