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The US Republican and Democratic conventions have traditionally targeted television viewers above all - but this year's will see an unprecedented effort to reach voters via social media.

In the last presidential election four years ago, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms were not yet the ubiquitous force they are now - even if Barack Obama was among the first to use online tools in a major way for electoral ends.

It was arguably not until the US mid-term elections in 2010 that social media, including YouTube and Flickr, really took off as key tools in the politicians' communications armory.

The Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida and the Democratic gathering in Charlotte, North Caroline next month, confirm the trend, with huge teams of staff members dedicated to reaching voters online.

"Wherever you live, whatever device you use, we want you to engage as an active participant in this convention," the convention's chief executive William Harris said last week.

"This convention is about every American's future, and everyone has a stake in it so we created a 'Convention without Walls' to make this the most open and accessible event in history."

In addition to the inevitable Twitter and Facebook pages, both parties have set up stall on YouTube, photo sharing sites Flickr and Pinterest, and the Google + and Foursquare networks, as well as an array of smartphone applications.

In Tampa, a Google Media Lounge created in partnership with the search giant, "will serve as command headquarters for monitoring, engaging and building online community to amplify convention messages," its website said.

An online Conversation Room will also allow speakers to send messages and photos on Twitter and Facebook, or give interviews by Skype, before or after they actually address the convention.

The Democratic National Convention - whose Facebook page had three times as many "likes" as its Republican equivalent on Friday - has organized a "Tweetup" in the run-up to the Obama party's talkfest.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

CJ Henderson is a foreign expert for China Daily's online culture department. CJ is a graduate of the University of Sydney where she completed a Bachelors degree in Media and Communications, Government and International Relations, and American Studies. CJ has four years of experience working across media platforms, including work for 21st Century Newspapers in Beijing, and a variety of media in Australia and the US.