Politicians on social media

"As a politician, I also see myself as a representative of the people and want to know what moves them," says Andrea de Meuron. FROM JÜRG KOBEL, www.sozialemedien.chThese days they were in the mailboxes again. The voting documents with the brochures of the parties and the green ballot papers. 62 women and 133 men are eligible in the electoral district of Thun. Only 17 can celebrate the entry or remain in the Grand Council on March 30, 2014. 73 people answered the survey as to why they are active in which social networks or why they prefer to refuse Facebook and Twitter (for the time being).Facebook before TwitterNot surprisingly, most people are on Facebook (63% of respondents). The microblog service Twitter follows in next place (26%), with the video platform YouTube and the business network Xing sharing third place. The second important professional network LinkedIn is used somewhat less. Some of these social media channels are used professionally, some privately and some politically. Few politicians share their pictures on Instagram. Other networks mentioned by candidates are Politnetz, Pinterest, Foursquare, Klout, Blogger, StudiVZ, Scrib, Slideshare and Netlog. 25 people who responded to the survey also have their own website.The benefits of social mediaThe active users value maintaining contact the most. Social networks can be used to maintain contact with friends and acquaintances. The exchange of information and dialog are also important for the candidates. The current information that can be read and disseminated on Facebook or Twitter is cited as the second most important reason why a presence on social media is worthwhile. Some people mention the marketing opportunities as a plus point and describe the networks as good and inexpensive advertising.Necessity..."Social media is a must for a public figure today," says Councillor Marc Jost. His incumbent colleagues from the Thun constituency don't all seem to share this view, as he is the only one who regularly posts messages on Twitter, for example. From the group of candidates for the Grand Council, however, the majority sees the social networks as an enrichment. "As a politician, I also see myself as a representative of the people and want to know what moves them," says Andrea de Meuron. In other words, Lukas Lanzrein says the same thing: "I'm on social media because I find it exciting to be in contact with my fellow human beings, whether in a political or private context." ...or meaningless?Although some candidates for the elections have set up a website, they do not like to use social networks. The reason most often given for not using social media is the lack of time. Politicians also prefer personal contact to virtual contact, like Manfred Oester: 'I'm not present on social media, and that's out of conviction. I prefer real human contact and I am convinced that less is more.' However, he mentions at the same time that this may not be ideal for the elections, but it is a clear vote against flooding. And some simply see no need or have no interest. Occasionally, those to be elected also have concerns about data protection. Theo Schmidt, for example, does not want to become dependent on large companies, especially those that perform data mining.Conclusion: Social Media Increases in Importance for ElectionsAt the moment, participation in the social networks does not yet seem to be a necessity for successful election to the Grand Council. Although this can only be said after March 30, 2014, the lack of presence on social media should not have any negative impact on the existing (older) ladies and gentlemen in the Grand Council. For candidates who want to take a seat in the Grand Council, however, a website and dialog via Facebook, Twitter or Xing are important in addition to traditional election advertising (posters, flyers, advertisements, panel discussions, etc.). Creating an account in a social network is free, sending messages too, the reach sometimes considerable. Social media should be seen as a supplement alongside the tried and tested election advertising, for some it is the alternative for cost reasons.Party affiliation does not seem to play a role for active participation on Facebook, Twitter & Co. It is more a question of age. It would be wrong to speak of a digital divide, but the survey clearly shows a tendency for younger people to be more accessible to social media than people aged 50 and over.Occasionally, it also shone through in the candidates' answers that there is no serious interest in election to the Grand Council. The name is on the green ballot, the electoral efforts are low.