Social Media

Lesson Objectives

• I will have the opportunity to investigate how political parties operate online

• I will have the opportunity to explain how the SNP used social media to their advantage in 2011

Interacting online

• Partner up with someone else in the class (you need one mobile phone between you)

• Using a mobile phone with internet access, you have five minutes to find and write down ways you can interact with political parties/politicians online

• We are looking for real examples and for you to be as specific as you can be. For e.g David Cameron has a twitter account where you can message him

Limitations?

• What do you think are the limitations of using social media to influence voters?

• Not everyone uses it• Young people, who do use it, are the

least likely to vote• People tend to have to seek parties out

which means they only connect with parties who they already support

SNP – 2011 Election Victory – Don’t copy

• In 2011 the SNP found a way to use social media to their advantage

• It is argued that they became the first party to really understand its power

• Read the story of the 2011 social media campaign the SNP ran

• After you have read it, take notes in your folder which show how they used social media to their advantage

• Please finish this task at home