Political Communication. It's all about strategy.

More and more we discuss new paradigms in political communication and its impact on society, particularly during public office elections. President Obama’s journey from near obscurity to the President of the United States in 2008 was an example where communication strategy played a huge role. His achievement, primarily a result of the Internet, and more specifically social networking vehicles, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, how important a tool it was in the arsenal of PR professionals. PR practitioners and communication specialists where granted a new found importance with this coup.

As always in the PR environment, it’s all about strategy and positioning.  Social media tools are definitely changing the dynamics of political communication and that’s only the beginning. The U.S. Presidential election gave us a good demonstration of what we can expect in future election campaigns. Available social media tools have been demonstrated effective and have proven to have a powerful impact in American society. The 2008 elections have proven an important case study for and a milestone in political campaign strategies. 

However it’s always important to take into consideration our audience. The group of people we aim to reach because it is a basis for the strategy we chose. The audience’s behaviour will define the campaign’s strategy. So what’s the impact of a political campaign based on social media tools if the majority of the population don’t even have access to the web? I’m talking about underdeveloped countries where most of the population do not have any access to the internet.

 In addition we also need to understand our audience and their main perspectives. For example making a comparison between North and South American online users’ behaviour we will notice North Americans use the web most for gathering information while South Americans seek entertainment on the web. So the positive and decisive impact that social media had on Obama’s campaign in U.S. probably wouldn’t have had the same impact in public office elections in South America countries. Therefore knowing the behaviour and expectations of the audience will help achieve successful results and influence the impact and final results of political campaigns based on social media tools.

Be aware of the big advantages and impact that social media tools can bring into political communication. Social media brings changes the dynamics and adds a new perspectives and innovative ways of dialogue and feedback. However social media platforms should be used as a strategic channel, and not just used because of its popularity. Knowing the audience and applying strategic communications are the best and most effective way to achieve success.