Will the Next Election be a Social Media Election?
Posted on | March 13, 2010 | No Comments
Like many other people around the UK I have had an increasing number of political leaflets posted through my door as we approach the next election. However, whilst social media offers the opportunity for the candidates to engage in a conversation with their voters, the online element still seems to be secondary to the one-way approach of traditional media. The online element is generally tucked away, suffers from curious branding decisions, and occasionally at a different URL to the one provided.
What follows is an unscientific analysis of five recent leaflets by the three main parties that have come through my letterbox.
intouch - Local Park Ward leaflet by the Conservative Party
No online presence indicated, just a rather difficult to read unbranded email address on the front page.
Change – Leaflet from the parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party
Unbranded email address on middle pages, with a link to a generic static Wolverhampton Conservatives web site (www.wolverhamptonconservatives.com) with no worthwhile content.
Rob Marris MP – Leaflet from the local Labour MP
Link to my local MP’s regularly updated blog at the bottom of the back page (www.robmarris.org.uk).
Wolverhampton: Your choice! – Leaflet from the Wolverhampton MPs and parliamentary candidates
At last a leaflet with a URL on the front page, and whilst it’s not a blog, it is at least a regularly updated web site with relevant local information (www.wolverhamptonlabour.com).
Focus – Local Park Ward leaflet from the Liberal Democrats
Without a doubt the local Lib Dems have made the biggest attempt at promoting a social media presence, highlighting Twitter, Facebook, as well as URLs for various Lib Dem web sites. The local councillors are using their official @wolverhampton.gov.uk email addresses, whilst the other email address is a @wolverhamptonlibdems.org.uk.
Unfortunately they also made the major mistake:
Wolverhampton Lib Dems don’t have a .co.uk domain!
Conclusion
A mixed set of results for the local parties, with the Conservatives having made a particularly pathetic effort. Traditional media has probably still got the most influence when it comes to a general election, but where there are small majorities (and ‘Wolverhampton South West’ is one of the most marginal seats – majority 2,879) there is no doubt that marshalling the forces of social media could make the difference. Unfortunately for the Lib Dems, they are the party for whom the gap is probably too big for social media to make the difference.
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