Analysis: Internet marketing was breakout star of 2012 campaign

The internet seems to have played a major role in the 2012 presidential election. There has been discussion about how much social media marketing  was used throughout Obama's campaign and how it helped him win over Romney. They've said "it was the Democrats who were able to execute social media strategies to get more voters to the polls." It was even talked about how the Obama team used email lists to fine-tune its message, a technique that is very familiar to anyone in the Internet marketing business.“While both campaigns blanketed swing-state television airwaves with advertisements, outside observers said Obama’s treasure trove of data helped give him a notable edge over Republican Mitt Romney,” said reporter Jennifer Martinez.   This could be due to the fact that the republican party had a harder time embracing digital media than the democrats. It could also be that online political advertising is very expensive and it is up to the party's campaign if they can spend the money on that. Analysts at Wells Fargo said online political ad spending was forecast at $311 million for 2012, passing radio as the second biggest venue for ads (with TV ads being the largest). Discussions on the internet about the candidates and the campaign also play a huge role, just as much as advertising. During the 2012 election, Obama had 77 percent of the discussion on social media sites  compared to Romney who had 23 percent.