As the countdown for the General Election begins, the way the country is voicing their opinion on social media has never been so strong.

With traditional media is on the decrease, it’s never been so important for each party to have a digital media strategy prepared. 288 million active users are currently on Twitter, which is an audience that should not be missed - especially as a majority of younger voters will interact using this channel.

Twitter is a great platform to form any sort of debate. Last week saw a back lash from Labour’s attempt to influence Twitter users with their political views. The Conservatives saw this as an opportunity to make a stronger campaign and mock the party with #SameOldLabour. This saw millions of people take to Twitter to voice their negative views on Labour and their proposed policies.

It is the first time a major campaign for each party has been launched online, which could have an effect on the final election votes. It has reached more people with their short, quick politic speech, whereas traditional media covers everything the party is offering. Publics can access election information on social media in a different way to traditional media. It is easier to absorb the key messages from each party with the use of short snappy stories on platforms like Twitter. It will be the first of many years where social media will lead the way in an election.

Has your opinion been shifted with the use of social media during the run up to the election?