Stop, look and listen – before going online

It seems British MPs are trying to take a leaf out of Barack Obama’s book when it comes to use of the Internet. The successful Obama election campaign used online tools to attract supporters and win their votes. This has spurred many politicians, as well as companies, to look at online opportunities.

It’s great news that more people are embracing the web and its tools – email, websites, social networking, Twitter – but many are still missing the point.

Web 2.0 enables information to be shared with a focus on two-way communication.

According to recent findings by the Hansard Society, MPs in Britain are just using the web as another means of broadcasting their messages. There is no opportunity for visitors to make comments, ask questions or share their views.

Many are missing the chance to gain a fantastic amount of feedback and research free of charge – from just the people they want to reach.

Excuses about not having enough time to blog and respond to feedback are rather shortsighted. The Internet is for engaging with others, not shouting a message. Static websites are no longer relevant as messages are unlikely to be heard above the rest of the online noise.

There are so many opportunities to speak to, listen and also build relationships with a potentially huge audience online. Taking this all-encompassing approach could make the difference between winning or losing a political campaign or business.

The tools are there – it’s just a question of using them correctly. The process can be as easy as the green cross code: just stop, look, listen, before stepping online.