The question ‘who are you going to be voting for’, or maybe more specifically the varying answer to that question, has always been a source of controversy, igniting debate and fuelling arguments. The old adage that you should never talk about religion, politics or money leads many to shy away from discussing their political allegiances.
However, research would suggest that social media is now breaking the ‘politics taboo’.
In what is being called the first ‘social election’, people have started to embrace the faceless, detached nature of social media to voice their political opinions.
Social media not only gives those vying for votes another channel in which to lure voters, but it also gives vital insights into key demographics of voters – age, race, gender to name but a few.
Recent research by NetNames, in partnership with YouGov, has revealed that almost a third of Brits now show their political allegiances or opinions on social media.
The research found that the most popular ways of engaging with politics on social platforms are liking (16%), posting (15%) or commenting (12%) on posts or links that express views on particular issues or policies.
However, the political taboo is not fully broken. Only 4% of UK voters formally list the political party that they support on their social profiles. Interestingly, British men (8%) are found to be four times more likely to formally announce their political leanings online than women (2%).
Only 7% of voters join groups or pages showing support for particular parties, suggesting that political parties have thus far failed to make a major digital impact. This is despite significant investment – the Conservative Party, for example, is reportedly spending £100,000 a month on Facebook.
When looking into the social media impact of the parties running in the general election, Labour voters were found to have the most confidence in their party’s social capabilities, with 28% of its supporters stating that their party will use social media most effectively. This was compared to 26% of UKIP voters, 23% of Conservative supporters and just 7% of Liberal Democrats.
Politics on social media is on the rise and while expression of opinion should be applauded, social media is not without some risks. Gary Mclraith, CEO of NetNames commented:
"While digital platforms are powerful tools for political organisations, it also presents them with reputational threats. The internet is an open forum, where users are able to express their views democratically.
"However, it is easy to set up fake profiles that mimic party branding and can damage reputation. Political parties – and any public-facing organisations for that matter – therefore need to be able to monitor social channels for any infringements if they are to thrive in the social age."
The research findings were the result of a NetNames survey via a YouGov poll, which surveyed 1,643 consumers. . The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
