Too many Twitters make a Tw*t

Not my words, but those of David Cameron, the UK’s Conservative party leader. His words come after the current government plan to engage with the voter base by using social media tools such as Twitter.

Are his words gross strategic faux pas or do they resonate with the voter base?

1) Voter apathy increased by 27% in the last elections This is concerning. This means that fewer people are electing who gets to decide what taxes we pay, how our economy holds up and if we or don’t go to war. It is predicted that at the next elections the biggest voter turnout will by by the under 40s, primarily the 18 - 30 market.

2) Most politicians don’t get it

That is how the voter base see politicians - or most, by the looks of it some just cannot be faulted. The recent expense scandal has seen political activism at a new level in modern day British politics. Voters aren’t willing to vote without knowing all the facts.

3) The “ever lasting” news cycle

Upto the 90s we had a 12 hour news cycle, in the early 00s we had the 24 hour news cycle, and I believe we have the never ending news cycle, or rather the start of it. No longer does it take the most ardent observer to remember details and “who said what when”, the media landscape has changed forever with the advent of social media.

Traditionally most conservative voters have been aged around the 45 - 70 base, but Cameron was selected by his party to attract the youth vote, install a fresh lease of life into a party that had shifted too far to the right and disengaged the young voter base considerably. His team is relatively young yet experienced and he was the best chance for young voters to have a vibrant and likeable figure such as Blair was in ’97. (He’s not like Obama in any way, shape, ideology or form)

Social media provides an answer to all three points mentioned above. You can engage with the younger consumer base; who uses twitter? Under 40s. Who’s going to be the most politically active? Once again the under 40s, especially students who use Twitter daily.
Tools are being developed everyday to analyse sympathy, mentions and a whole raft of other things, so start using them.

David Cameron’s saving grace however could be this happening still sometime away from the general election.