“What’s this Snapshot thing?”

In case you’ve been living under a rock the past few months Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has made the race for the 2016 Democratic nomination an actual competition.

We’re all aware the importance of social media during this campaign cycle. Candidates are using sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Medium to stay connected with young voters- perhaps an even smarter move is how campaigns are starting to utilize Snapchat as a way to connect with young voters.

Recently, Senator Sanders joined Snapchat and his announcement flooded Twitter with a defining quote “what is this Snapshot thing and why do I only get 10 seconds”. It was an obvious poke at the Senator, but it was effective and caught the attention of news outlets and Millennials almost immediately.

I think it was a smart move for Senator Sanders to hop on the Snapchat train, the Clinton campaign joined Snapchat back in August and it continues to show that Senator Sanders wants to connect with younger voters- and stay competitive with the other Democratic candidates.

Voters between the ages of 18–24 are the most sought after supporters on both sides. It makes sense that candidates are coming up with creative ways to capture (and hold) our attention.

Social media is here to stay and I’m impressed that candidates are adapting to the changing channels of communication. Candidates are acknowledging that Millennials are an important voting group and continue to find ways to effectively pass their messages along to us.