A social media strategy for MPs
The election looms and MPs jump en-masse into social media.
My wife, an established journalist and Telegraph's online Special Projects Editor thinks I've missed a trick - I should have approached MPs several months ago to offer media training.
Some MPs and candidates don't even have a website. I know it would be naive to believe that the election will be won or lost on Facebook and Twitter, but ignore the internet at your peril!
Messages propagate from the internet into the "real world" far quicker than messages delivered on the doorstep get back online, simply because of the economy of scale that social media messaging offers.
But it's a crowded market place - there are millions of people selling their own message through new media channels. Ranging from retailers big and small to social campaigners to football fans - there's a mass of background noise you'll need to cut through.
And then there's the pitfalls. It matters not that you may have posted 99 excellent campaign messages if the 100'th is a goof of epic proportions. You're often dealing with a harsh audience who like nothing more than to highlight the mistakes of others - especially when you're a public figure. The one bad post you make could be the only post to hit a nationwide audience.
By taking time to understand the medium it's possible to maximise your impact and minimise the risks.
Most social media can be used in one of three ways: to broadcast, to interact and to canvas. It's incredibly tempting to adopt a broadcast-only strategy. This will take up the least amount of time, but it's also the least-effective use of social media. Because it's cheap to broadcast, a lot of people do so - it can be hard to get heard above the noise.
Social media goes beyond the established rules in that it offers a chance to build a personal relationship with your electorate without ever meeting them. It's possible to build respect between you and your followers - a mutual trust that will bring forgiveness if you slip up and equally importantly get your message heard, understood and distributed to the widest possible audience.
One key factor in building trust in social media is to listen AND respond. Without the response, your follower doesn't know you've listened. TIP: respond to them directly using a method that they're sure to see (email, direct message or an @-reply on twitter). And you don't need to respond positively in agreement - it's possible to trust and respect someone whilst disagreeing on one or two issues.
This approach explains how national celebrities can compete with international figureheads such as President Obama when it comes to their popularity on Twitter. Taking a look at the twitter streams of Stephen Fry, film-maker Kevin Smith and FiveLive presenter Richard Bacon, all with a following well over a million people, shows how frequently they respond directly to their audience with an "@ reply".
Using the same method I examined several MPs' Twitter streams and found a worryingly low percentage who take the time to interact with their electorate.
It's not all about the numbers game. The actual number of people who follow you directly is somewhat less important that who they are and the relationship you have with them.
Trust is crucial to reaching your followers' followers, and their followers too. That's because social media acts as a massive human filter for information. If people agree with your message, they will pass it on. They may not pass it on wholesale, but the core message will propagate.
I firmly believe it's worthwhile investing time building up a relationship with your followers. The return will be twofold - they'll recommend to their friends to follow you and they'll trust and pass-on more of your messages.
Furthermore one could argue it's worth helping your followers increase their following. Cross-promoting your constituents, e.g. by name-dropping where appropriate and suitable (especially in Twitter) increases the linkage between your followers, letting them exchange views directly.
Whilst this last notion may strike fear in the hearts of some, in many ways it's better to hear and listen when people disagree. Whilst it's possible to guide the debate, attempts to control the debate can result in an erosion of trust and an outright loss of followers.
Which brings me on to the third use of social media I mentioned at the start - canvassing. Taking the time to read the profile and blogs of your followers not only indicates whether or not they live in your constituency, but also gives a raw unadulterated insight into their life and their views.
Whilst many will be too timid to explain in person on the doorstep how they disagree with you or your party's stance, people are all too willing to hoist their respective flags on Facebook through membership of campaign groups or vent their rage on Twitter.
All this may seem pretty time-consuming - unrealistic, even. But the time required is comparable with a door-step call, brings a far-greater chance of your message being repeated and does not risk a soaking given the temperamental British spring weather!
If you would like a personal media training session please contact us on 01252 560426 or use this contact form.