The political parties use of social media

PR week has an interesting piece on the online strategies of the three main political parties.

At one end of the spectrum stands US president Barack Obama, a gleaming example of how savvy use of soc­ial media can lead to political victory.

Our three lie somewhere to the middle the article continues with the Tories

having attracted the most plaudits for social media savvy so far

Their verdicts:

1.Labour-

Focused on using social media to formulate policy, run campaigns and raise funds. Making up ground. Thinking reflects the party’s technocratic culture, but it has made a serious effort to understand and deploy social media more effectively. The dissemination of tools and widgets is a good example of this. But it lacks solid strategy to attract undecided voters.

2.Tories-

Splashy efforts have sparked coverage in the mainstream media and position the Tories as the party that ‘gets’ social media.An obvious flair for social media, coupled with evident resources, has resulted in an impressive offering. Doubts about overall strategy are compensated for by a very vibrant blogosphere that, in turn, influences the mainstream media disproportionately.

3.The Lib Dems-

Mainly oriented towards giving tools to existing supporters to spread the word.Outside contenders. Good tools for local activists are let down by terrible design and weak integration. Bloggers fare better, especially at a local level, and overall understanding of social media is impressive