What are we voting for? Please tell us.

Disclaimer: I don’t like lengthy articles about politics. This is merely my response to the way that political parties have been “reaching out” using social media, and my request that they use the process to generate some value for everyone involved.

The great political-social-media debate

There’s been quite a bit of debate about the DA’s recent foray into social media [mayhem].

On 19 February 2009, the DA launched a couple of websites and invited some bloggers to attend. The websites are seemingly aimed at building an online social networking presence for – primarily – the DA. Surprisingly, it is Helen Zille herself who has been the face of this new approach. She is also captain of the @helenzille Twitter account.

The conversation that I’ve seen has largely had two main [conflicting] themes:

1. congratulating the DA on taking these steps to improve their social media presence; and/or
2. disputing the effectiveness of their current online campaigns.

Frankly, while many of the observations are true and well-founded, I’m not particularly bothered who they invite or speak to, what sites and social media they use, and even whether they copied Obama’s campaign or not.

Political leaders [and parties], what do you stand for?

I would believe that this is all that matters to any voter – knowing what we are voting for.

In recent history parties have competed on the basis of racial appeal rather than their standpoint on issues. With the birth of a new political player in COPE, for the first time we have an opportunity to see politicians campaigning based on their policies and approach to social issues rather than on the basis of demographics.

Political parties, you now have an unbelievable opportunity ["they" being any political party willing to try]:

to use social media to convey what you really stand for, to understand the issues affecting the people you want to connect with, and communicate how you intend dealing with those issues.

After all, what else really matters?

Voters who know what they’re voting for will be more loyal, passionate and trusting

The parties’ using social media seem to have neglected two fundamental aspects in their approach, simple things that could [if used correctly] create great value for them and change public perceptions in a HUGE way:

1.They’re not telling us [simply] what they stand for.

2.They’re just not listening.

Isn’t that the real reason they should use social media? To provide necessary information in a simple manner, and thereby empower the “community” [do political parties understand this word?] to ask relevant questions and make informed decisions on that basis?

A simple request from a voter

For the Parties that are using or intend using social media, this is all I ask:

1. Please explain simply to us [the voters] where you stand on major issues [crime, HIV, corruption and matters affecting economic growth would be a good start] – this will help us to understand you better and to think of good questions. [this would also attract far more readers, since most people want to know what they're voting for]
2. Provide a place for us to leave questions and feedback – this will give us a voice and you a chance to connect with the community.
3. Show us that you’re really listening. Surely if companies can do it for good feedback and questions, you can too [even if it's just answering the questions that come up the most] – this will help us believe you.
   

As Walter Pike so accurately commented: “Social Media isn’t something you can just switch on – its not an advertising medium – especially when step one is to listen“.

I recognise that the elections are on our doorstep and that this is unlikely to happen by then. Hopefully we will see a move towards this sort of informative and positive communication very soon.

You can follow the discussion in these other posts:

• Political party launches impressive, Obama-esque campaign site [Matthew Buckland]
  
• DA invites bloggers to social media unveiling [Justin Hartman]
• Does the DA get social media? [Walter Pike]
• The DA’s use of social media – can we really call it social? [Moralfibre]
• DA reaction has me puzzled [Walter Pike]
• The DA, social media and the masses [Nic Haralambous]
• Keep calm and carry on – the DA debate [Walter Pike]
• DA, gurus and the online circus [FeistyFemale]
• SA Politics – Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe [Mike Stopforth] – new addition

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• The 2009 election results – a change in voter perspective?
• South African political parties in a word [or three]
• Fixing a broken firefox toolbar. Delicious!

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