Is social media changing political opinion?

The Prime Minister is proving more popular than he probably ever expected. In the six days since David Cameron joined the social networking website Twitter, he has amassed over 110,000 followers. That’s 20,000 more than Deputy PM Nick Clegg, 50,000 short of Labour leader Ed Miliband and 400,000 short of his great friend, political rival and by far the most popular Conservative tweeter of them all, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.

Cameron may be learning the intricacies of becoming a digitory – what to say and what not to say – but what about his party?

One true thing about the Conservatives is that they have never struggled to find voices; in fact, it is one of the things that have made it so vibrant. Yet does having several tweeting members of the Cabinet - William Hague, Jeremy Hunt, Eric Pickles, to name but a few - really make any difference to how the party is run or how policy is made?

The man Tatler magazine named ‘the most powerful man in politics’ Tim Montgomerie believes so, and for the better. Montgomerie, the editor of the influential ConservativeHome website said that social media is helping to create a ‘level playing field for grassroots Conservatives’. In his own words social media has caused ‘mass decentralisation of power’. He should know. Montgomerie and ConservativeHome – read by around 250,000 people a month - led the calls in February for the Government to rethink its NHS reforms – a story that topped the BBC News headlines – and vexed the Telegraph’s Peter Oborne.

Oborne, as frank as ever, acknowledged that the ConHome website is a new force in politics but asked whether this is a shift to the elite. Is this just a digitalised version of the Westminster Village? Oborne seemed to believe so; he called social media the ‘political equivalent of 20:20 cricket’. As a cricket writer it is more than likely this remark was not auspicious.

And what about the politicians view of Twitter? Matt Hancock, a Business and Education Minister, glorified its use. As one of the 2010 intake’s most recognisable and vocal MPs, he noted that it allowed backbenchers to voice their concerns to a bigger audience, but disagreed that it created a level playing field. He said ‘big names’ have ‘big voices and followers’ online. He was fervent that the party needed to embrace social media more.

So what would success look like through using social media? Does having more followers ensure victory? Does a ‘Like’ translate into a vote?

At this moment in time, no, but politicians cannot underestimate the power of how quickly social media is evolving. Tweets are already setting the agenda on 24-hour news and local democracy is being enhanced by the expansion of community news websites. An MP visiting a local branch of a national charity, once seen by one community, can suddenly be seen by millions. At some point soon we are bound to see a 140-character manifesto, though I’m not quite certain what it will look like.

One group we cannot underestimate are pollsters and electioneers. New technology channelled through social media is allowing parties to target individuals to their smartphones and iPads. This is not a phenomenon only used by President Obama and his campaign team, but also by Alex Salmond and his SNP party. The words and ideas of politicians can be sent to millions in an instant and more importantly, it is working.

It does not change the fundamentals of how politicians should interact with constituents, but it is another platform to interact.

So what did everyone think by the end of the debate?

Political parties are constantly battled with engagement both at a local and a national level, yet now all three parties have developed flourishing and growing social media channels – both official and unofficial. Communications is about delivering an effective and simple message that people remember, but also listening to what people have to say. Conversation is a two-way street and the likes of Facebook and Twitter are allowing policy-makers to have instant dialogue with their constituents.

As the debate overwhelmingly illustrated, politicians believe it to be a good thing.

This article first appeared on Gorkana and can be found here.