ELECTION 2.0?Don’t believe the hype

Apex Communications has been advising corporate, public and

third sector clients on communications issues since 2005. Brought

together by commercial strategist Pete Bowyer and former

government adviser Ed Owen, Apex Communications helps

organisations influence opinions and shape reputations.

Carlo Gibbs is Head of Online Engagement at

Apex Communications

Get Elected is the only cross-party service that provides campaign

support to candidates seeking election political office. Formed in

2009, Get Elected has provided candidates with a range of

services, from constituency research, to web-design and speech

writing.

James Knight is Director of Get Elected

Kind thanks and acknowledgements to the wider Get Elected team,

in particular James Coady and Mark Staniland.

1. About us

The upcoming election is likely to be one of the tightest in recent years and the first time the nation has

gone to the polls since the explosion of social media. This report has assessed the online presence of

candidates across 100 key battleground and high profile seats.

We have reviewed and analysed the activity of candidates who we consider have a genuine chance of

winning their seat, and have looked at how prepared they are to campaign online for the election.

This included a review of websites, blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Inevitably, the three major parties have been battling each other to gain the supremacy online and have

been developing some highly sophisticated software and online campaigning techniques. However, relatively

little has been assessed about how individual candidates are using online platforms to help enhance their

campaigns in constituencies across the UK.

Our research took place throughout February 2010 and has provided a thorough audit of presence and

activity levels online. The results clearly indicate that discussion surrounding the prominence and potential

impact of social media platforms is often both over-stated and exaggerated.

2. Introduction

Summary of resultsThis election will not be decided online. While the use of social media by the national parties, the press and the

general public will have an impact on the election, our research shows there is little widespread and effective take

up of online campaigning by individual candidates across the country.

No party has yet managed to implement a consistent online strategy at candidate level, and we found very few

constituencies where one or other of the candidates is dominating in any noteworthy way.

Key conclusions• Some candidates still have little or no online presence

Incredibly, there are a number of candidates in our sample that still have no online presence, including 10% that have

no personal website.

• Lip-service being paid to online campaigning

While the majority of candidates are online in name, only a few are actively embracing the platforms. Most remain at

a low level of activity and interaction, while dormant Twitter accounts and Facebook pages remain extremely

common.

• A few active candidates mask general lack of uptake

There are some examples of candidates, especially those with national profile, dominating the online platforms in our

sample. 62% of all the supporters and fans on Facebook come just from the top three most popular profile pages.

• Online campaigning not integrated - a key online strategy

A key test for effective use of online platforms is the level to which they are integrated with one another. Our

research highlights, even where candidates have a good presence on one platform online, they often fail to link their

presence to the other sites they use. Facebook, Twitter, websites and blogs, as well as other platforms, are

frequently viewed and delivered as separate entities.

• Central parties use of new media has not filtered down consistently to candidates

While the three main parties are all bidding to outdo each other, with online draft manifestos and iPhone

applications, as well as appointing ‘Twitter Tsars’ and the like, uptake from candidates on the ground is often at the

most basic level.

• Minor parties and independents using online platforms more effectively

The minor party and independent candidates in our sample are using online platforms more actively and effectively

than the major parties. In most cases independents and minor party candidates remain relatively unchallenged online.

Key findings10% of candidates still have no personal website

54% of websites have no links to candidate’s social networking platforms.

29% of candidates use a blog

Top 10 most followed candidates on Twitter account for 52.6% of the total number of followers

Top 10 most popular Facebook pages account for 84% of total Facebook supporters and fans

The sample of 100 seats was chosen by the Get Elected team to represent a broad range of likely key

constituencies at the next general election.

Drawing on and acknowledging the excellent insight offered by UK Polling Report, we have developed a

sample that incorporates most key marginal seats, while not remaining exclusive to them. We have also

included other seats that we consider interesting for other reasons, namely those with high profile

independent candidates, recent by-election or possible Portillo-esque decapitations.

For each seat, unless a three-way marginal or where a party leader is standing, we have only reviewed the

online presence of the two candidates which, based on notional and previous figures, have the best chance

of claiming victory.

We have chosen exclusively to focus on a candidate’s website and blogging activity, combined with the

largest two social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.

The research audit took place throughout February 2010.

Over the 100 seats we reviewed the online presence of 233 candidates

For more information about the sample, or for a full list of the 100 seats, please contact

james.knight@getelected.co.uk

3. Sample

85 Conservatives

78 Labour

54 Lib Dem

2 Green

5 Independent

3 Respect

3 SNP

1 Speaker

1 UKIP

1 BNP

Campaigning websitesLack of presence

A staggering 10% have no personal website, with another 2% unavailable or under construction. Of

those that do have a website, only 29% have a blog. Furthermore, these are not just candidates that have

been selected recently, but sitting MPs and some that have been in position for a number of years.

Low interaction

Using our ranking scale of 1-3 our findings point to low overall scores across all parties in terms of levels of

interaction with the user and regularity of website updates. On average, the candidates were marked a

fairly derogatory 1.4 for interaction, and 1.7 for regularity.

Lack of linkages

The majority of websites were also not coordinated in their online campaigning, with 54% having no link to

other online platforms. Further to this, our research found some instances of meaningless links to social

media sites, pointing users to the Facebook homepage for example, or to a dormant Twitter page.

TwitterLib Dem candidates embracing Twitter

45% of the total sample has some presence on Twitter. 50% of Lib Dems candidates had an account, just

ahead of the Conservatives on 48%, with Labour having only 38% of their candidates being active on the

platform.

Labour with the widest reach

Despite having fewer candidates signed up to Twitter, Labour candidates have been much more effective at

getting followers1.

The total number of followers for the 105 candidates on Twitter was 64,572 (not unique followers), with

an average of 614 per candidate.

The total number of followers for each party was 24,105 for Labour, 14,525 for the Lib Dems and

8,447 for the Conservatives. The average following was 804 for Labour, 537 for the Lib Dems and 206

for the Conservatives.

4. Full Results

1 Total follower figures are not unique. We appreciate there will be much duplication across Twitter accounts and users. However, thisgives a strong enough indication of direction of travel for conclusions to be drawn.

Average Twitter followers by party

N.B figures exclude Nick Clegg2

Clegg leading amongst leaders

Although we omitted Nick Clegg from the average follower calculations, it is worth noting that while

Conservative Party leader David Cameron remains off Twitter, Nick Clegg was the most followed in our review.

A dominant few lead the many

One of the striking aspects of the statistics is that a small number of politicians account for a large portion of the

total number of followers. The top 10 politicians account for 52.6% of the total number of followers.

Labour Lib Dems Conservative0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Candidate

Nick Clegg

Ed Balls

George Galloway

Sadiq Khan

Ben Bradshaw

Jim Knight

Jo Swinson

Caroline Lucas

Esther Rantzen

Julia Goldsworthy

Top 10 total

Party

Lib Dem

Labour

Respect

Labour

Labour

Labour

Lib Dem

Green

Indep

Lib Dem

Followers

7,557

5,298

5,077

3,890

3,227

2,218

2,729

1,334

1,323

1,312

33,965

2 Nick Clegg accounts for almost a third of total Liberal Democrat followers in our sample. To ensure direct comparison (as neitherGordon Brown nor David Cameron are on Twitter) and to keep the focus on candidates rather than high profile party figures, we haveexcluded Nick Clegg from this specific calculation.

Most followed Twitter users

67% of all followers come from just 17% of the candidates. Conversely, 72% of the candidates combine to

account for only 17% of the total followers.

Average followers

No prominent Conservative Party figure on Twitter

As the table shows, a number Cabinet ministers have used their national profile to formulate an online

Twitter following. Similarly, Nick Clegg has embraced the platform and is the most followed candidate in

our sample. The top ten most followed has no Conservative Party candidate.

Failing to connect with online constituents

Taking a basic average, with 7.2% of the UK being on twitter3 and c70,0004 people in a constituency, the

average amount of people on Twitter in a constituency is 5040.

Of course there are huge variants in the size of UK constituencies and the regional use of Twitter, yet it

seems fairly striking that only 3 out of 233, or 1.3% of our sample attain this average figure.

All parties are struggling to interact effectively

The research also looked into the levels of interactivity and regularity with which the Twitter accounts were

updated. Using our rating scale of 1-3, where 1 means no activity and 3 means significant activity, the results

were unimpressive, although markedly similar across parties.

2.5% of followers

17% have 1000+ followers

5% have fewer than 10 followers

13% have between 500-1000 followers

38% have between 100-500 followers

27% have between 10-100 followers

Top 17% account for 67% of followers

account for15.7% of followers

account for14.6% of followers

0.2%

3 http://blog.sysomos.com/2010/01/14/exploring-the-use-of-twitter-around-the-world/4 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmgeneral/deleg2/090309/90309s01.htm

Dormant Twitter accounts remain common

Using Twitter just to broadcast, not interact

Conservative

Regularity: 2.2

Interactivity: 1.7

Labour

Regularity: 2.2

Interactivity: 1.8

Lib Dem

Regularity: 2.3

Interactivity: 1.8

FacebookLabour behind on Facebook campaigning

59% of our sample use Facebook explicitly for campaigning5. 63% of Lib Dems candidates are using the

platform, followed by 61% of Conservative candidates, while only 52% of Labour candidates have a

campaigning page.

Dominant figures leading the majority

The top ten most followed listed below account for 84% of the total number of supporters and fans.

The top three alone account for 62%.

Prominent Labour candidates not embracing Facebook

While staying away from Twitter, David Cameron has a strong and active campaigning page on Facebook.

Nick Clegg similarly has a decent online following. While Barrack Obama continues to gather supporters,

now close to 8 million, Gordon Brown is yet to have an official support page of any description.

Labour grassroots ahead on average supporters

Just as on Twitter, when the leaders are taken out of the equation, Labour average the highest following. On

Facebook, Labour average 250 supporters, fans or friends, compared to 197 and 179 for the Conservatives

and Lib Dems respectively.

Candidate

George Galloway

David Cameron

Nick Griffin

Jeremy Browne

Nick Clegg

Tim Farron

Susan Kramer

Andrew Slaughter

Julia Goldsworthy

Caroline Lucas

Party

Respect

Con

BNP

Lib Dem

Lib Dem

Lib Dem

Lib Dem

Labour

Lib Dem

Green

Followers

27,220

16,144

11,359

4,611

3,451

3,166

2,534

2,053

1,810

1,593

5 Some candidates have multiple profiles or pages. Where this is the case, we have used only the one page we consider to be theprinciple campaigning page for that candidate, whether a group, a fan page or in some instances a personal profile.

Exc. leaders

More lack of regularity

Similarly to our Twitter findings, the three main parties all linger around the same mark when ranked on our

1-3 scale for regularity of Facebook updates, with Conservative, Labour and Lib Dems scoring 1.6, 1.6 and

1.9 respectively.

Facebook pages with few fans and no interaction remain throughout

Some even without a picture

Labour Conservative Lib Dems0

50

100

300

200

250

300

Uptake from minor parties and independents

Perhaps unsurprisingly, independents and minor parties in our audit are engaging in new media more

actively.

Respect’s leader Salma Yaqoob has built a solid online following and is almost unchallenged online by other

candidates for Birmingham Hall Green. Another prominent Respect candidate, George Galloway, has

amassed a huge amount of supporters online in his fight to gain Poplar and Limehouse.

In Barking, neither Labour’s Margaret Hodge nor the Conservative’s Simon Marcus have embraced online

campaigning to the same extent as their controversial opponent, BNP leader Nick Griffin.

Caroline Lucas, in Brighton Pavilion, has capitalised on her national profile to build a strong online following.

However, in this case, both Nancy Platts and Caroline Vere, of Labour and the Conservatives respectively,

have also fully embraced and engaged new media effectively.

Esther Ranzen in Luton South was developing a decent online following on Twitter and is generally well

engaged with website and blog activity. None of the candidates from the major parties are using new media

as effectively.

Tips for candidates: build a better online campaign1. Prepare and understand

• Understand the various platforms

• Have a presence on all leading social media platforms

• Build presence in advance of election campaign

2. Personalise and engage

• Engage with supporters and followers, rather than just use as a broadcast medium

• Personalise communications to enhance engagement

• Make both proactive comment and to react to events

3. Maintain and manage

• Take an active control over your online presence

• Regularly update, don’t let accounts go dormant

• Integrate all social media presence to build and maintain following

For further information, please contact james.knight@getelected.co.uk or

carlo.gibbs@apexcommunications.com

Barking Margaret HodgeSimon MarcusNick Griffin

Barrow Jonathan WoodcockJohn Gough

Battersea Martin LintonJane Ellison

Bethnal Green & Bow Abjol MiahRushanara Ali

Birmingham Hall Green Roger GodsiffJo Barker Jerry EvansSalma Yaqoob

Birmingham Yardley John HemmingLynette Kelly

Blackpool North Joan Humble& Cleveleys Paul Maynard

Blanaeu Gwent Dai DaviesNick Smith

Brecon & Radnorshire Roger WilliamsSuzy Davies

Brent Central Dawn ButlerSarah Teather

Brentford & Isleworth Ann KeenMary MacLeodAndrew Dakers

Brighton Pavillion Nancy PlattsCharlotte VereBernadette MillamCaroline Lucas

Bromley & Chislehurst Bob NeillChris KirbySam Webber

5. Appendix A: the list of seats and candidates reviewed

Buckingham John BercowNigel Farage

Burnley Julie CooperGordon Birtwistle

Camborne & Redruth Julia GoldsworthyJude RobinsonGeorge Eustice

Carshalton & Wallington Tom BrakeKen Andrew

Cheadle Mark HunterBen Jeffreys

Cheltenham Martin HorwoodMark Coote

Chippenham Wilfred Emmanuel-JonesDuncan Hames

Chorley Lindsay HoyleAlan Cullens

Clacton Douglas CarswellIvan Henderson

Crawley Laura MoffattHenry Smith

Crewe & Nantwich Edward TimpsonDavid Williams

Croydon Central Gavin BarwellGerry Ryan

Dartford John AdamsGareth Johnson

Derby North Bob LaxtonStephen MoldLucy Care

Dewsbury Shahid MailkSimon Reevell

Devon North Nick HarveyPhilip Milton Mark Cann

Dorset South Jim KnightRichard Drax

Dorset West Oliver LetwinSue Farrant

Dudley South Ian PearsonChris Kelly

Dumfries & Galloway Russell BrownPeter Duncan

Dumfriesshire Clydesdale David Mundell& Tweeddale Claudia Beamish

Aileen Orr

Dunbartonshire East Jo SwinsonMary Galbraith

Dunfermline & West Fife Willie RennieThomas Docherty

Ealing Central & Acton Angie BrayBassam MahfouzJon Ball

East Renfrewshire Jim MurphyRichard Cook

Eastleigh Chris HuhneMaria Hutchings

Edinburgh South West Alistair DarlingJason RustTim McKay

Enfield North Joan RyanNick de Bois

Exeter Ben BradshawHannah Foster

Filton & Bradley Stoke Jack LoprestiIan BoultonPeter Tyzack

Glasgow East John MasonMargaret Curran

Guildford Anne MiltonSue Doughty

Halifax Linda RiordanPhilip Allott

Hammersmith Shaun BaileyAndrew Slaughter

Hampstead & Kilburn Glenda JacksonChris PhilpEd Fordham

Harlow Bill RammellRobert Halfon

Harrow East Tony McNultyBob Blackman

Hereford & Jesse NormanSouth Herefordshire Sarah Carr

Hove Celia BarlowMike Weatherley

Ipswich Chris MoleBen Gummer

Islington South Emily Thornberry& Finsbury Bridget Fox

Kingswood Roger BerryChris Skidmore

Kirkaldy & Cowdenbeath Gordon BrownLindsay PatersonJohn MainlandGavin McClement

Leeds NW Greg MulhollandJulia MulliganJudith Blake

Lewisham Deptford Joan RuddockDarren Johnson

Liverpool Wavertree Luciana BergerColin Eldridge

Liverpool West Derby Robert WareingStephen Twigg

Luton North Kelvin HopkinsJeremy Brier

Luton South Gavin ShukerNigel HuddlestonQurban HussainEsther Rantzen

Manchester Withingon John LeechLucy Powell

Mid Dorset & Annette BrookeNorth Poole Nick King

Morley & Outwood Ed BallsAntony Calvert

Newbury Richard BenyonDavid Rendel

Newton Aboott Richard Younger-RossAnne-Marie Morris

Northamptonshire South Andrea LeadsomMatthew May

Norwich North Chloe SmithJohn Cook

Norwich South Charles ClarkeAntony Little Simon Wright

Old Bexley & Sidcup Derek ConwayJames BrokenshireRick Everitt

Oxford East Andrew Smith Ed ArgarSteve Goddard

Oxford West & Abingdon Evan HarrisNicola Blackwood

Poplar & Limehouse Jim FitzpatrickTim Archer Jonathan FryerGeorge Galloway

Pudsey Jamie HanleyStuart Andrew

Redditch Jacqui SmithKaren Lumley

Richmond Park Susan KramerZac GoldsmithEleanor Tunnicliffe

Rochester & Strood Mark RecklessTeresa Murray

Romsey & Southampton Sandra GidleyCaroline NokesAktar Beg

Rugby Mark PawseyAndy King

Sheffield Central Paul BlomfieldPaul Scriven

Sheffield Hallam Nick CleggNicola BatesJack Scott

Sittingbourne & Sheppey Gordon HendersonAngela Harrison

Solihull Lorely BurtMaggie Throup

Somerton & Frome David HeathAnnunziata Rees-Mogg

Southport John PughBrenda Porter

St. Albans Anne MainRoma MillsSandy Walkington

Stourbridge Lynda WalthoMargot James

Sunderland Central Julie ElliottLee Martin

Taunton Deane Jeremy BrowneMark Formosa

Tooting Sadiq KhanMark Clarke

Torbay Adrian SandersMarcus Wood

Tynemouth Alan CampbellWendy Morton

Watford Claire WardRichard HarringtonSal Brinton

Westmorland & Lonsdale Tim FarronGareth McKeever

Winchester Martin TodSteve Brine

Witney David CameronJoe GoldbergDawn Barnes

Worcestshire West Harriett BaldwinRichard Burt

Wyre Forest Richard TaylorMark GarnierNigel Knowles

York Outer Julian SturdyJames AlexanderMadeleine Kirk