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New age politicians don’t just pose for photos and address the crowds on the campaign trail.
They are also sitting on the sofa at home, wearing comfortable clothes, talking directly with their followers through social networks.
Politicians have become social influencers. But unlike their travel, lifestyle, or beauty counterparts, their social media platforms aren’t littered with #ads or # sponsored posts for financial gain. Instead, they are trying to develop a relationship.
The importance of these platforms, and their correct use, is not lost on New Zealand political parties.
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Hundreds of thousands tune in to watch Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak from her often crowded kitchen, while the Opposition has spent tens of thousands trying to grow a following of Judith Collins online.
Hannah Peters / Getty Images
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has used social media to share live Covid-19 and election updates.
Abroad, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison regularly posts selfies of his kitchen adventures, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau often shares intimate family photos.
“Saturday night is curry night,” Morrison wrote along with a collection of photos in August.
And who can forget Bill English’s spaghetti and pizza?
But is it really necessary for us to see world leaders and politicians walking their dogs, making dinner, playing with their children, or eating a cheese bun? And can we trust the image they are painting online?
A political evolution
Politicians have always been the first to adopt the latest communication tools.
Claire Robinson, a professor of communications design at Massey University, sees social media as the latest tool added to the political toolbox. Its affordability is also quite attractive.
“They are quick to create, quick to communicate, cheap to make, they can be changed very quickly so you can really respond to the problems of the day or time.
“It’s not like the old days, when you had to spend tens of thousands … on a political ad or even a newspaper ad.”
Maarten Holl / Things
Massey University professor Claire Robinson said there are pros and cons of politicians promoting themselves and their policies on social media.
Social media expert Lisa East, CEO of The Content Agency, saw the social habits of politicians as a natural progression.
“As platforms evolve, [they’re] making the best use of those new features, “he said.
Since Facebook rolled out its live streaming feature for all users in 2016, Ardern added it to its social repertoire as a way to share Covid-19 and campaign updates. One of her recent live broadcasts was viewed by more than 350,000 people.
Dr Danny Osborne, a professor of psychology at the University of Auckland, compared today’s Facebook Lives and Instagram updates to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside talks in the 1930s and 1940s.
“While the channel, the medium may have changed, the same underlying motivations may continue to exist.”
Social platforms have allowed politicians to access a younger demographic that traditional forms of media and communications might normally overlook (most Facebook and Instagram users are under the age of 30), but they can also be exclusive and potentially harmful.
“There is a downside,” Robinson said.
“When politicians use a form like this, they are excluding many of their potential voters, especially if they are using social media to exclude other forms of communication such as brochures or leaflets, manifestos … television advertisements.”
ROBERT KITCHEN / Things
National’s Judith Collins poses for a selfie while on the election road.
Traditional media such as television, radio and newspapers have not disappeared (both the National and Labor recently launched new TV ads), but for many, they may have faded into the background.
“Now you have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, even TikTok … politicians have to get out there widely,” Robinson said.
Sharing is showing interest?
Robinson is aware that some people prefer only to hear politics and vision messages from politicians, rather than to hear about their social lives. But she argues that there is room for both.
“It is a balance between showing the human side of the politician and the more professional side,” he said.
Osborne said the informal use of social media gives audiences a peek behind the curtain.
“These social media chats provide … a window into who the politician is basically, and we can discern a lot of information based on these heuristics that politicians are providing.
“It immensely humanizes politicians.”
Supplied
Dr Danny Osborne, a professor of political psychology at the University of Auckland, said that personal images of politicians shared on social media humanizes them.
Sharing photos and outings with family members is not revolutionary – this has been happening for decades through newspaper ads, Robinson said – but it is becoming the norm.
Take Trudeau, for example. His Instagram bio lists his roles as father and husband above his official title. His feed is a mix of official appearances, behind-the-scenes shots, and intimate family photos of his children and wife.
“You are my rock, my partner and my best friend. And there’s no one I’d rather be with on this trip than with you, Sophie. Happy anniversary, mon amour, ”he wrote in May.
Former National leader Simon Bridges takes a similar approach to his social media content: Most of the photos he shares on Instagram show his children.
“He’s using Instagram a lot more like he’s an ordinary person who uses [it] unlike a politician, ”Robinson explained.
Take it with a grain of salt
Although we are getting a glimpse of the lives of politicians and world leaders, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen even shared some of her wedding photos, it is important to know the motivations of the users.
“It is also a very, very important political tool that leaders can use to get votes,” says Osborne.
“Personal accounts are definitely part of the political message,” Robinson added.
East agreed. She said that most social media users have an agenda to be on the platform, and politicians are not exempt from that.
“It’s the old adage of what you put on social media… it’s carefully selected to show a particular moment in time.
“The same applies whether you are looking at an influencer … or a politician. [The] The same rules apply: apply that grain of salt, that common sense. “
Supplied
Content Agency creative director Lisa East said everything on social media, including posts by politicians, should be taken with caution.
There is still room for politicians to grow when it comes to creating content on social media, according to Grant Duncan, an associate professor at Massey University.
“Most of the political uses of social media are unimaginative. They improvise but don’t strategize on social media. They have not understood that social media is completely different from traditional broadcast media.
“We are still seeing a lot of top-down ‘ads’ and ‘condolences’, or comments against the opposing party, on social media, which is not bad, but that’s not using social media to the best effect.”
Most people use these channels to connect with people they know and follow the lives of public figures, so they can at least get to know them. This goes back to the whole humanizing aspect of casual updates and posts.
Robinson believed that there was a correlation between politicians who are successful in their roles and the use of social media, but it is not an exclusive link.
“It is not a requirement for success.”
