My name is Victoria, and I’m a first time voter.
And as this year’s general election campaigners continue to tell us how crucial it is to connect with first time, young voters, I have to say they’re close to disengaging me completely.
Why should I listen? Jargon is lost on me and it’s about time politicians actually did something thoughtful to connect with the young voting public, and having a good handle on social media is an obvious first port of call, yes?
Sure, someone else is doing it for him, but ‘brand Obama’ hits the nail on the head when it comes to addressing his audience on Twitter. Like any good brand, he’s recognising who he should be talking to and taking action towards getting those people interested. Obama offers a glimpse of his life and personality. As a result people are interested in what he has to say because they know who they’re voting for.
Back in the UK, on the popularity front it’s a pretty bleak picture for politicians, with Cameron and Miliband’s combined Twitter followers being dwarfed by Harry Styles. It’s about time that British politics came out of the dark ages and got to grips with the blue tinged light of social media because right now, I’m more likely to remember that little girl being bored to tiredness by Cameron’s reading than whatever jargon he plies me with in numerous rehearsed speeches.
Come on politicians; take some cues from Obama and the brands that have been connecting with their audiences on social media for years and VOTE SOCIAL.