How did social media affect Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign?

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama utilized social networking effectively as a major campaign strategy. Interacting with his supporters on Twitter and Facebook, Obama was able to reach out to the younger demographic that helped to secure him his office. While these techniques may seem like common sense today, back in 2007, when Barack Obama declared he was running for president, these methods were practically unheard of. Use of Twitter was not widespread and the iPhone was still yet to be announced. Therefore, social media affected Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign positively, giving him a boost in the polls and allowing him to interact with a demographic never before reached.