Posted May 30, 2014
The media skills of the Internet Mana Party could have a major impact on the Greens at this year’s election. That’s because the political savvy and media experience of Laila Harre and presumed social media skills of Kim Dotcom’s people could attract left wing votes that would otherwise have gone to the Greens.
Firstly, Social Media provides huge opportunities for political campaigns. This is particularly so for targeting young voters. This group has always been a focus of the Greens. But if Internet Mana can get their messages through to this group on social media better than the Greens, they may steal votes. They may also get to other young people who wouldn’t otherwise vote.
The other important factor is Laila Harre. She is a savvy politician who understand traditional media and how to get her message out. While social media is becoming more and more important in political campaigning, traditional media training skills are still vital. This is because most people still get their news from traditional sources.
The link between social and traditional media is becoming closer and closer. Social media is great to get your messages out through your own specific channels. But there’s another reason it is becoming so beneficial. That’s because reporters are now using it as a major source for their stories.
So if Dotcom’s people use it to its maximum effect, they will not only get their message out to young voters through social media. They will also use social media to attract traditional media interest. This is an area that is often overlooked by politicians.
In a nutshell, for small parties to succeed in political campaign, they need publicity. If Internet Mana are the best small party at using the combined power of social and traditional media, they may do better than many expect. This would probably be at the expense of the Greens.
For more on my media training, or crisis communication training, contact [email protected]