It is now 2014, social media has been with us since the mid 2000’s, it has become even more prevalent since then. I was expecting this year’s budget to be supported by a large number of high quality social media graphics, from both sides. Obviously the opposition would be lacking behind a bit, because they only get access to the budget documents at 1400, but I would have expected the National Party to have graphics to go with things. However, all I have seen from them, graphics wise on social media, as at 15:10, was the following:
This has been posted to Twitter and to Facebook. But that is it. As at 15:10 it has had 6 retweets, 4 of whom are National MPs. Other than that. All the National Party has done is tweet quotes from the Minister of Finance’s, or PM’s, speeches.
The Budget is not a breaking news story for the party in power. They are the ones who write it. There is nothing to stop them preparing graphics to send out as the budget is happening. They put in the effort of preparing press releases that get dumped at 14:00, yet they have not done the same to produce information that they can use to help promote the budget via social media. I don’t know anyone, outside of media and politics geeks, who actually read press releases. Press releases are unlikely to do much to spread the message you want, however a well done graphic has the possibility to spread the message a lot further.
