Policy Makers Get More Social: The rise in social media use is shaping and influencing policy worldwide, according to a new study from Edelman.
Over half (53%) of members of Parliament in the U.K. and the U.S. Congress are now actively using Twitter to communicate with their constituents—a 15% increase over 2010. And 41% have also seen a growth in constituents’ use of Twitter to reach their lawmakers—almost a 600% lift from 2009.
Also underscoring the importance of the Web in educating policy makers and galvanizing them to support a policy issue, the survey finds that 60% of staffers go online to learn about an important policy issue for the first time. And 33% admit to changing their opinion based on what they have read online—a nearly 200% rise over 2009.
Other key findings from the study include:
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21% of respondents say poor messages are the primary reason that public affairs campaigns fail, while 23% indicate that fact-based, articulate messaging is key to winning over staffers.
- More than 80% of staffers reveal that letters from voters and community leaders, as well as individual constituent visits, are most effective in raising an issue’s prominence in their agenda.
- When asked to provide reasons why public affairs campaigns fail, 13% note limited grassroots support as an important campaign “fail factor,” thus underscoring the need for strategic grassroots CSR advocacy for campaign success.
Source: Edelman