Social media rules! To take full advantage of the power of social media, here are some lessons learned from the successes and failures of others.

• Author: Kuhl, Jon
• Position: TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Connecticut Senator Bob Duff (D) doesn't mind being called the "Cory Booker of Connecticut." Booker is the social media master mayor of Newark, N.J., who has more than 1.3 million Twitter followers. Like Booker, Duff posts several times a day on Twitter and Facebook. He covers everything from useful traffic updates to important news from the state Capitol to fun Super Bowl polls.

"The media are very fractured right now," says Senator Duff. "I have to find many ways to communicate with my constituents." In particular, Duff says social media allows him to reach more of his younger constituents. "Interacting with high school and college students on Facebook and Twitter helps them understand their government better. And if this helps keep them engaged, I think that's great."

Having an active and large social media following allows him to communicate when it matters most, like when Hurricane Sandy took out the power for many of his constituents. With only their smart phones available for communication, Duff tweeted back and forth with them, keeping them up-to-date on developments until power was restored.

"@SenatorDuff wow. We must have called [the electric company] a dozen times past few days. Can't thank you enough for getting thru to them!" tweeted a happy constituent.

The uses of social media continue to expand. In January, Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma (R) hosted the state's first "Tweet Seats" during Republican Governor Mike Pence's State of the State address. Bosma chose five individuals to tweet live from the statehouse during the governor's address. "We must continue to embrace technology and consider new ways to communicate to the public," says Bosma. "It is evident that social media is not a trend, but is here to stay." For him, social media is an extension of the work he has done to bring transparency to the legislative process, such as live-streaming the House chamber and committee rooms for constituents to watch online.

Tory Flynn, communications director for the Indiana House Republicans, who organized Tweet Seats, was pleased that it "accomplished exactly what we had hoped for: an increase in followers, reaching out to new people, and communicating about state government in an engaging manner. Flynn's next project, "tweet sheets," is an ongoing effort to build support for legislation sponsored by the Republican caucus. When a bill is introduced by a caucus member, Flynn sends out the legislator's Twitter handle, photos and...