Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

The BBC reports on the findings of research by the Hansard Society which showed that online activity doubled for the last UK general election since the 2001 polls. However, only 15% of the voting population went online for advice.

At first glance that sounds bad, but one of the report’s findings was ‘the Internet was used too much as a “one-way” conversation.’ Steve Ward of the Oxford Internet Institute says that the US experience probably won’t be repeated in the UK because “in the UK, well-entrenched party machines and the relatively localised nature of election campaigning mean that currently traditional communication tools work just as well if not better.”

I can’t say I agree with Steve at all. In much the same way that trust in the media is falling and trust in individuals is rising, trust in politics is dwindling and trust in individuals is soaring. For proof you only have to look at the rising number of independent candidates that are starting to be elected.

Political parties on the fringes and independents are growing in popularity because they ‘listen to the people.’ Using the Internet as a medium of communication with techniques like podcasting, politicians can show that they are listening and talk to their constituents.

When’s the last time you heard your local politician’s voice? I get the odd newsletter and see a face in the local paper every now and again, but that’s about it. When strive for a tiny mention in a local publication when you could probably engage with your audience for a fraction of the effort online. What makes it better is that armed with their new online strategy, the politician could probably get more attention for his online endeavor.

Politicians will always use mainstream media, but the quality of their conversation will be enhanced by supplementing their strategy with an online offering.