Effective social media use now hallmark of elections

Kottayam: Candidates here are using diverse strategies to reach out to voters on social media, and some had entrusted the task with professional agencies.

While a public relations agency is managing social media accounts of NDA's PC Thomas, party workers are doing the job for LDF candidate V.N. Vasavan.

A new feature is videos of eminent persons and commoners soliciting votes for the candidates.

In any case, the effective and aggressive use of social media platforms is a hallmark of these elections.

Mr Vasavan's Facebook page has videos of K.R. Meera, Renji Panicker and M.K. Sanoo praising him.

The LDF has also formed WhatsApp groups at the booth level and given direction to spread the posts to maximum people.

“Along with videos, there will be a write up from the well-known figures,” said Sanu, a CPM district committee member in charge of social media.  “Apart from the main page, there are at least four other pages thro-ugh which we used to communicate with the public.”

Mr Thomas is using videos of stakeholders in the rubber sector including farmers praising his efforts to revive the industry.

The commoners’ voices are also used to highlight his interventions for solving the crisis following the price fall.

“We are trying to showcase his developmental initiatives as a minister and the aspirations of the new generation and issues and challenges confronting the nation,” Shafi Kunnath of intermedia, a PR firm based in Thiruvanantha-puram, told DC.

“We also tried to present him as one who inherited the legacy of his late father P.T. Chacko.”

Youth Front (M) is in charge of the social media activities of UDF candidate Thomas Chazhikadan.

“We have not entrusted the job with professionals. The youth wing is doing it,”said a party source.