Social Search and Networking Site Adds Political Campaign Features

Searchles.com, a social search platform, has added new features and tools designed to help voters and the online campaigning community. Searchles TV has been used by bloggers and supporters of different candidates for the 2008 US Presidential Election, according to the company. Use of this website as a tool to reach and connect with campaign supporters is more evidence that social networking sites have an important role in elections.

CEO of Searchles, Elias Shams, said, "It's been quite exciting to see a larger pool of candidates able to establish platforms and have their opinions on key issues heard nationwide. The social media phenomena has enabled the lesser known candidates to effectively get a campaign off the ground and compete with the well-established candidates in fundraising, garnering support, and spreading their respective messages. This has resulted in wider dialogue on current events, issues, and policy proposals."

He continued, "The more info the voters have access to, the more democratic the process gets and we're just excited to play a role. We've found social media tools we've developed at Searchles give users the opportunity to actively participate in the viral campaign strategies, such as showing support and spreading the message using the Searchles TV feature that streams multiple videos through one player."

One feature that Searchles TV offers users is the ability to stream any number of videos from different sources together to make a new display. Campaigners can use this to show how different candidates feel about the same issue, or perhaps how the same candidate feels on different issues. Searchles makes these videos easy to embed in Myspace or blogs, according to the company.

Searchles hopes that campaigners will use their site as a means of delivering targeted messages to specific audiences, instead of delivering a message to all of America about these special interest issues. Searchles also offers votes the chance to choose how they want to portray their chosen candidate, or the candidate they dislike the most.