Barack Obama’s party machine was the first organisation to campaign effectively using social media on such a large scale. Indeed, many have argued, “it’s the internet what won it”. Obama’s success is attributable to a number of factors, not least his machine’s ability to use a resource the Republicans failed get a grip on. So why is it that, in an election year, the main UK political parties haven’t harnessed such a proven communications tool? Indeed, both parties have cited the Obama machine as an inspiration, with Labour Party HQ even taking tips from the Obama election team. The ideas are there, but, unfortunately the method is not.
By no means will this year’s election be fought solely in cyber space. If you look at the main parties’ profiles and fan pages on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, they have a relatively small support base considering the size of their organisations. The reasons for this are two fold: firstly, their online presence is contrived and, therefore, relatively sterile. Secondly, traditional media seize upon stuffy old politicians who attempt to appear hip by ‘tweeting’ or fail to appreciate their audience.
Parties have failed to connect with voters online because their blogs or tweets read like mini manifestos, or as a blogger might describe, political spam. A 17 times vetted, one line inspirational message - ‘Labour for a brighter future’ - is often seen by the electorate as insincere. The idea behind these tools is that you reach a demographic who will not respond to simple party slogans. To truly engage with the average tweeter, updates must have personality, be genuine and, arguably most important, they must be topical. Posting an update about your personal thoughts on a particular subject strikes a chord with people, and the personal touch will always prevail on this medium.
Although the Conservative Party has almost twice Labour’s following on its Twitter and Facebook pages, on balance it is Labour that has the advantage. This is down to two factors. First, it can call on a lot of grass root online support, with groups and pages set up by candidates and voters alike.
And second, the Party has a number of online powerhouses, such as John Prescott and Alistair Campbell, who have large online followings and have successfully personalised the official message.
But, MPs be warned, unless you’re a Prescott or Campbell, blogging can be dangerous territory. On a slow news day, the media will seize on Twitter’s abundance of hilarious examples of MPs attempting to micro blog. Just look at the unfortunate case of David Wright, Labour whip, who described the Conservatives as “scum sucking pigs” in a particularly scathing tweet. The national papers picked this up and the story blew up overnight.
Understandably, communication bosses at party HQ’s are apprehensive about loosening the leash on their delegates when blunders like this occur. But there is a middle ground. It is possible to be personal without being offensive. And if it’s done correctly, the rewards are plentiful.
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