Social media and the general election?
I was reading this article from the BBC which was suggesting that election candidates should be on alert about what they say, both publically and in meetings. Okay, so yes, you do need to watch what you say as it could appear on Twitter or as a video on YouTube, but surely it isn’t just about “MPs watching what they say”?
So … Here’s what I think: (it may not be true, it’s just my ideas/opinions!)
1) Social media is growing, as outlined in an earlier blog I did. Parties, such as Conservative, Labour and Lib Dems will all want to jump the band wagon and use the web to ‘promote’ their party. Currently Conservatives are probably one of the most active parties on the web. I mean, look at the US Presidential elections … Obama and Clinton were battling it out on the web, making the votes even more vital.
2) Using “groups” and making new Twitter accounts for particular parties will encourage uses to join or follow. This is more of a marketing ploy, but definately will help parties during the general election.
3) World wide support. Okay, so we Briton’s need to vote, it’s important to us but with the social media, there is a global audience. Using social media by the parties will show the world what they aim to do when in Parliament… making the audience bigger. An example is Twitter and YouTube - It can be viewed from any location on Earth, so Tweets and videos will be seen/watched by people in different countries.
