‘How do you do fellow PA residents?’ How Fetterman is flying on Facebook.
It was as simple as dusting off a Steve Buscemi meme.
The Facebook post, which hit John Fetterman’s feed on the evening of the second Monday in June, slightly repurposed a familiar joke that regularly bounces around the Internet.
“How Do You Do Fellow Kids?” is taken from an old episode of “30 Rock” in which a visibly older Buscemi is laughably attempting to pose as a high school student.
Fetterman’s Senate campaign team, led by Sophie Ota, tapped this popular meme and tweaked the text over Buscemi to read, “How Do You Do Fellow PA Residents?” The tagline from Fetterman’s account: “Dr. Oz basically.”
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The post, which jabbed at Mehmet Oz’s relatively new residency in the state, ended up becoming the Fetterman campaign’s top performing piece of content on Facebook during the month of June and its third best performing post of all-time. To date, the Buscemi dig has earned nearly 10,000 reactions and more than 900 shares.
As Fetterman stepped off the campaign trail this summer to recover from a life-threatening stroke, his campaign has relied on slapstick social media accounts to fill the void.
Despite being sidelined from face-to-face events, Fetterman earned more Facebook interactions between the end of May and June than any other U.S. Senate candidate in the country.
During that period, Fetterman racked up 225,000 total interactions. Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Mark Kelly of Arizona, each attracted between 45,000 and 50,000 interactions during the same period.
What users see in their Facebook feeds is determined by an opaque algorithm that often amplifies sensational content and so-called “clickbait,” according to Kyle Tharp, CEO of FWIW Media, a media company that tracks digital trends in politics that detailed Fetterman’s success.
Traditionally, conservatives are much better at cracking the code and attaining virality than their Democratic counterparts.
“Among U.S. Senate candidates, however, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is the exception - his campaign has been a masterclass in how political operations should use Facebook in 2022,” said Tharp.
During the week of Fetterman’s Buscemi meme, Oz was the Senate candidate earning the second most engagements on Facebook, according to FWIW. Oz actually topped Fetterman in interactions between June 19 and June 25, powered by a simple post that leaned into the phraseology of former President Trump: “Make American Energy Independent Again!”
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But while Fetterman has poured tens of thousands of dollars into advertising on Facebook since clinching the Democratic nomination in May, Oz has spent nothing on the platform since he became the Republican standard-bearer.
Oz’s absence from paid digital media – as well as television airwaves – since May has confounded some operatives.
“It’s extremely weird -- have you double-checked that he isn’t spending it in his home state of New Jersey?,” swiped Teddy Goff, who directed digital operations for former President Obama’s re-election campaign.
Jokes aside, Goff said it’s possible the Oz campaign is either still finalizing their messaging for the general election or conserving money to be able to purchase a heavier advertising blitz in the coming weeks. It could be a combination of both.
But Fetterman’s campaign has not taken its foot off the gas, even as the candidate continues to rest and recover.
June 27 was Fetterman’s biggest day of digital advertising on Facebook since the primary, in a play for end-of-the-quarter fundraising donations.
The campaign has continued to run advertisements for donations on Facebook and YouTube since Fetterman launched his candidacy. This past quarter, the campaign spent over $2 million alone on acquiring email and texting numbers to bolster their fundraising lists.
And yet, oftentimes, it’s the simple organic post that catches fire.
The Fetterman campaign posts on Facebook an average of four times a day, mixing memes, with family photos of his wife and children and text posts sharing frustrations about political issues.
“While some other campaigns post sleek, branded graphics or polished videos, Fetterman’s team seems to know that quick and dirty content often performs much better,” Tharp said.
The campaign takes its social media so seriously it holds weekly training for supporters that teach them best practices. Post primary, between 40 and 50 people have attended each training session, according to the Fetterman campaign.
And the campaign takes their supporters’ work seriously.
For example, the graphic that the campaign posted after winning the primary was designed by a volunteer. So was the campaign’s “Dr. Oz for New Jersey” bumper sticker, which is being sold on its site for $6.
And many of the memes that end up circulating on Facebook are from Fetterman himself.
“Everything we do on social media is an extension of John’s unique authenticity and brand. Our videos are rarely highly produced or edited, as John prefers simple direct-to-camera videos where he can directly address supporters and voters,” said Sophia Ota, digital director of the Fetterman campaign. “Our team engages on a very granular level with supporters online. We have staff who will individually respond to comments on John’s Facebook and Instagram posts. The key is to keep up engagement with real people.”
Tharp said Fetterman will need to maintain this type of high-level engagement, especially when Oz chooses to re-engage with a full-fledged digital effort. Oz, a celebrity doctor who used to host a self-help television show, boasts more than 13 million Facebook followers that span far beyond Pennsylvania and even New Jersey.
