Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+. The list of social media sites is growing, so how are membership organisations using social media to improve participation in an election?
These days social media channels cannot be ignored as a weapon in your election communication arsenal. Social media is quick, easy and free! But…unless you know that the majority of your members are using the same social media channels as you and are likely to not only see but interact with your posts, social media should not be the only channel used to encourage participation.
However, used as part of an integrated engagement campaign, organisations can find social media a very effective way of getting the message ‘out there’ and promoting different stages of an election process.
Promote your election on social media sites
If your organisation uses social media, you can use your chosen sites to communicate election-related messages. Election services provider, UK Engage, works with organisations to administer all types of internal elections and offers a service to develop a social media campaign for the duration of an election. Keep messages in line with your constitution and do not break your election rules.
Social sharing
If your organisation is holding an online ballot and the e-voting platform incorporates a social sharing function, like UK Engage’s does, then members can tell family, friends and acquaintances that they have voted in the election. This reinforces your organisation’s social media activity and can also prompt other members to vote.
Encourage feedback
If you get responses to your social media posts then your members are participating. Let your members know you are listening with ‘likes’, ‘favourites’, ‘retweets’ etc. However, be aware that you may not always get positive feedback, so stay in touch with your social media team and consult your policy of how to handle negative comments.
Create engaging multimedia content
Diversify your social media content by incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, infographics, and interactive polls. Visual and interactive content tends to grab attention and evoke stronger emotional responses compared to text-only posts, making it more likely to be shared and engaged with by your audience. By presenting election-related information in creative and visually appealing formats, organizations can effectively capture the interest of members and increase their involvement in the electoral process.
Navigating Elections With UK Engage
To harness the power of social media and maximize participation in your organization’s elections, it’s essential to integrate these platforms into your communication strategy effectively. Start by promoting your election on various social media sites, ensuring your messages align with your organization’s constitution. Encourage members to share their participation in the online ballot with friends and family, amplifying your campaign’s reach
For tailored guidance on crafting a successful social media engagement plan for your election, reach out to UK Engage at 0345 293 5555, email enquiries@uk-engage.org, or tweet us @UKEngage. Let’s make your next election a resounding success together!