From Lo-Fi to Mayfair, Instagram is no longer run by culture starved hipsters and #foodporn sharing Yelpers. Politicians, past and present, are signing on to the photo sharing app as a way to personally connect to their constituents.
Here are my picks for the top 5 politicians on Instagram in 2013.
1. @CoryBooker: Mayor of Newark, NJ
Cory Booker, current Mayor of Newark and Senator-elect of New Jersey, tops the list as a vibrant and experienced user of Instagram. Booker is no stranger to social media, however, explaining his aptitude for the photo-sharing app. Unlike many users, he frequently uses the video function, recently posting a series of short interview responses in an #instaview series with @nowthisnews.
His fascination with social media rests heavily on its ability to unite constituents with their elected representative.
"Eliminating a step in the communication process, social media ensures that politicians, if active, can know about issues as they happen. Removing the middleman not only creates efficiency, but increases accountability among politicians," Booker said.
And if you're wondering what one account he follows, it's @HelpUSA, an organization providing homes, jobs, and services for America's homeless.
2. @GeorgeWBush: 43rd President of the USA
Whether you agree with his former policies as president or not, George W. has done an impressive job using Instagram to promote his foundation, The Bush Center.
From his use of trending hashtags to his understanding of the viral effects of cats, he appears to be familiar with the mobile app, even posting an image with Michael Jordan in honor of #tbt -- Throwback Thrusday.
3. @ChicagosMayor: Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's instagram account mixes work with play, inviting his followers into a more personal side to his life. While he posts stock political pictures at events and promoting his projects, he doesn't hesitate to post fun pictures, like attending a cubs game. The behind-the-scenes shot with Conan O'Brien not only humanizes the mayor, but his use of the hashtag #chicoco makes him reliable to the "average" instagram user.
4. @Michelle Obama: First Lady of the United States
As a part of her Let's Move campaign, the First Lady uses Instagram to promote "Drink Up," share health tips, and post pictures of healthy foods.
While the account is run by her staff, she does post occasionally, signing her posts -mo. Her most recent personal post was on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:
"Today, we honor all who held fast to their dream for America. Let’s continue that march and do our part to change history. –mo #MLKDream50," she wrote.
There is one thing her team could work on, however -- moderating comments.
5. @GovChristie: Governor of New Jersey
While Mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg has twice as many followers, Governor Chris Christie shares an eclectic collection of photos on his account, from Throwback Thursday of his wife and family to current newspaper clips. My favorite: the Times 100 most influential people of the year.
