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Social Media & Delaware Politics: Q&A w/ Phil Woods

Delaware-based business consultant Phil Woods knows a thing or two about bringing people together online. When he's not overseeing his own business, Spinners Mobile Bicycle Repair, Woods manages two new websites he created this year, Where in Delaware and Where in Richmond, where visitors can exchange information on area businesses, events, and attractions. The Delaware site helps people looking for everything from dry ice in Rehoboth, to sushi in New Castle, to math tutors in Milford.

Woods also dispenses social media advice to Delaware businesses he coaches. Grotto Pizza, Newark Natural Foods, and the management training company Performance Based Results are among the clients he’s helped develop Facebook and Twitter accounts and strategies.

DFM News sat down with Phil Woods to pick his brain about how politicians can make the most of social media.

Questions:

Q: Is there a difference between how the government entity or a politician should use social media and how an individual might use it?

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Q: What does "authenticity" mean for a social media user?

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Q: How do you rate the State of Delaware’s use of social media?  Are there any government agencies or politicians whose use of social media stands out?

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Q: Is the use of social media more critical to politicians or government entities in a state like Delaware, which has relatively few media outlets to disseminate information?

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Q:What is your response to these criticisms: One, the use of social media by politicians dumbs down public discourse because tweets and posts have such severe space limitations. Two, social media are not governed by journalistic ethics. Three, voters wind up in an echo chamber because they only choose to follow sources whose views match their own.

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Q: Is it essential for people to confirm or vet information they receive via social media?

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Q: If you were consulting for the state or a politician, what advice would you can give them on effectively using social media?

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