Should MPs embrace social media & what are the implications of them doing so?
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Research also suggests that even though some MPs have taken the leap into social media they are merely using it in the same way as the rest of us, to contact friends, rather than as a tool to encourage dialogue with their constituents. However, the few MPs that have attempted to engage the public using social networking are receiving an increased amount of traffic to their site. This illustrates the success of social media in engaging the public whilst promoting their party and policies in the process.
Rob Marcus director of social networking moderation company, Chat Moderators explains, 'Although engagement through social media can hold potential risks and be viewed as time consuming, many MPs still feel that they need to be participating in it but are unaware of the technologies available to them. This may be a reason why so few have actually used social networking as a communication tool in their campaigns. However, since Barack Obama's level of online presence during the presidential election, many MPs are beginning to see what all the fuss is about'.
Obama's presidential campaign had presence on no fewer than 16 social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Not only was he able to reach the general public on these popular social networks, he is also connected with specific ethnic groups online such as, BlackPlanet for the African-American population. Obama fully embraced social media throughout his campaign and has continued to do so since the election by updating his Twitter regularly and engaging in discussions on forums with the public on issues that are important to them.
Obama's campaign is a great example of a political figure embracing social media fully, although the cost of keeping this going and ensuring that the content is on message, whilst minimising the level of negative comments, is a hard task. Marcus comments 'MPs must be aware that even when embracing social media this may not result in a quality political debate. Despite the hype, MPs must recognise that maintaining an effective social media programme is a time consuming task and not one which can be easily delegated'.
Even though the level of MPs engaging in social media is low, the most popular platform at the moment is Facebook. For example, of the Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet members, 72 per cent are on Facebook, compared to only seven per cent who are blogging[ii]. As Facebook now generates 45 per cent of UK traffic to social networking sites[iii], this is an attractive option for MPs. With an audience of voting age, unlike competitor Bebo, Facebook's biggest appeal for MPs is being able to reach potential voters directly, without having to contact them individually. However, whether MPs have the knowledge of how to use it to their advantage is possibly another matter.
When embarking on social media MPs will have both different but similar issues to brands. The more high profile the MP, the more brand like they are, Marcus observes 'When people feel passionately about an issue they tend to get personal. This is hard to do with a brand but an easier task with a public figure like an MP. Because of this an MP may not necessarily receive a larger volume of submissions than a brand, but a higher percentage of the submissions will be negative which will involve an increase in moderation'.
Many MPs feel that the Internet is now a powerful tool for them in their political campaigns, realising that just having a website is merely scratching the surface of the possibilities. Whether they are setting up a page on Facebook or hosting a live webchat on their party's website, MPs should realise that the time must be invested in for it to be successful. MPs must be willing to set up a process to moderate the feedback fairly, whilst being prepared that some of it may be personally abusive.
'The main piece of advice that I would give to an MP when setting up a social media initiative is to seek help from a professional agency, expect that there will be negative comments appearing but to go ahead and give it a go anyway with your eyes wide open', Marcus concludes.
[1]Survey of 168 MPs, Hansard Society, February 2009
[1] Liberal Democrat Voice, December 2008
[1] Hitwise figures, June 2008
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