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NSW Premier Mike Baird’s strategy to make his social media posts look spontaneous

THEY’RE both conservative family men from Sydney’s northern beaches, but in the eyes of the public they couldn’t be further apart.

Benedict BrookBenedict Brook
@BenedictBrook
5 min read
February 3, 2016 - 2:17PM
Mike Baird Tweets and Facebook posts
Mike Baird Tweets and Facebook posts

MIKE Baird is warm hearted, loves his home state and is down with the kids — particularly his own when he selflessly takes them to Taylor Swift concerts.

The Premier of NSW also doesn’t like reality shows but we forgive him because he’s really quite funny about hating on them.

And how do we know all of this? Because he insists on telling us through his multitude of social media channels.

On Tuesday we saw classic good-guy Baird. A Facebook post of the Premier clad in a red cap and yellow vest, helping out the homeless, with “Scotty, my mate who sells the Big Issue” has been shared 4000 times. That isn’t half bad for someone who isn’t a boy band member or I’m a Celebrity ... D-lister.

In a touching post, Baird compares his usual morning walk through Martin Place, which is usually full of selfies and “constructive feedback” from passers-by, to his day Tuesday when, because people assumed he was homeless, he was ignored.

“Today in Martin Place, there are very few greetings. In fact, most people lower their heads and hurry past me, desperate to avoid eye contact,” he wrote.

“It isn’t fun being invisible. In fact, it is really lonely.”

Baird took time in his post to commend the Big Issue as a “great social enterprise designed to help our homeless and disadvantaged get back on their feet”.

But, lest we think the Premier is simply waxing lyrical about a new experience, he also had time to spruik the work the government was doing.

“We’re spending a record $182 million this year on specialist homelessness services and are expecting to assist 54,000 people,” he wrote.

Mike Baird Facebook post at a Taylor Swift concert was shared hundreds of times but got even more media coverage. Source: Facebook
Mike Baird Facebook post at a Taylor Swift concert was shared hundreds of times but got even more media coverage. Source: Facebook

‘HE’S REALLY QUITE GOOD’

Let’s face it; making new laws, the bread and butter of parliament, is a bit dull. So the holy grail of all leaders is to try to make the political personal and create an emotional connection with the electorates.

Some do it through fear and scaring the public into supporting new legislation; others, like Barack Obama, have the gift of the gab. Baird seems to be wearing his heart on his sleeve, smothering us with more sunshine than sparkles off the sea from his electorate in Sydney’s northern beaches. And by all accounts we’re lapping it up.

His Twitter feed has 52,000 followers. His Facebook page has 90,000 likes. A third of those liked his Big Issue post — compare that to the percentage of your Facebook friends who like your average post.

“He’s really quite good at using social media,” said Dr Jonathon Hutchinson, a lecturer in online media at the University of Sydney. “He’s blended the official voice of Mike Baird Premier with the social voice of the guy up the coast exceptionally well to deconstruct that barrier between an MP and an actual person.

“It feels legitimate and he’s doing what pollies should do and engage with citizens.”

On Australia Day, Baird posted a selfie of him with two Brazilian expats who has just become citizens. “And why wouldn’t they?!” he exclaimed.

THE BACHELOR

In December, at the memorial to Sydney Siege victims Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson, he moved us with, “Today we weep, but also know that hope will triumph over hate.”

In November, he got all nostalgic posting a picture of his daughter heading off to her school formal side-by-side with another image when she was just a kid giggling in his arms. He has had cheeky stoushes with other premiers, takes snaps of him turning up to work in a De Lorean while his opinions of The Bachelor finale got almost as much coverage as the eventual winner.

But if you think Mr Baird has simply stumbled across social media, perhaps with a tip or two from his children, think again. It’s a carefully crafted strategy.

“These things don’t just appear, there is as strategy behind this and he would be very well briefed by a social media strategist to understand all the platforms and what kind of language to use and the best time to talk,” said Mr Hutchinson.

It’s a strategy that doesn’t come cheap. While the NSW Premier’s Office declined to comment for this story, last year the Daily Telegraph reported that taxpayers forked out almost $30,000 for social media whiz Tony Story to do 51 days work ensuring Baird successfully filled feeds with daggy dad jokes and smiling selfies. Mr Story, who has a background in advertising and telecommunications, has since become the Premier’s head of digital media.

Not that Baird is the only politician on social media. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been documenting his daily duties for some time. Surely, it was no coincidence that at the height on the Choppergate scandal, where former speaker Bronwyn Bishop chose to fly the short distance from Melbourne to Geelong, Turnbull posted an image of him taking the train to the same destination. Mind you, he does love posting about public transport.

Labor leader Bill Shorten posts the odd selfie and even memes while Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who has double the Facebook followers of Baird but only half his NSW counterparts on number on Twitter, uploaded pictures from his wedding day. Nevertheless, many politicians’ timelines can still feel fusty with some full of staid snaps of handshakes and awkward smiles among groups of the great and the good.

In contrast, when Baird wants to talk up how he’s boosting education, he doesn’t shake the hand of a school principal; he posts an image of him high-fiving a school kid.

Mike Baird high fives a school kid while spruiking his education polices. Source: Facebook
Mike Baird high fives a school kid while spruiking his education polices. Source: Facebook

BYPASS MEDIA

“The more successful pollies on social media are those who are not using the corporate approach. Mike Baird is not replicating what traditional media so he’s not shaking hands or kissing babies,” said Mr Hutchinson.

Last year, The Daily Telegraph reported that Baird’s head of communications Imre Salusinszky, allegedly told a staff meeting the government the strategy was indeed to bypass “legacy media” such as newspapers and TV by using social media to talk directly to the electorate. Mr Salusinszky has denied making the remarks.

But bypass the media Baird has done by posting YouTube videos about his latest policy pronouncements. On Sunday, he issued a new video where he waxed lyrical on the GST and health and education funding. And while these spots are not as popular, or shared as widely, as his more casual uploads to Twitter and Facebook, they often end up on the evening news and, of course, there’s no pesky journos to ask any questions.

“It does lack the scrutiny of using traditional media in that the message comes out directly from them and, whether it’s good or bad, it reached the population,” said Mr Hutchinson. “But the media also has a vested interest so it’s a good way to avoid that slant on a story.”

The danger for politicians is keeping up with technology.

“The problem they face is these platforms are not necessarily where the conversation will be next year so you’ll start to see the proactive strategists sneaking pollie updates into spaces like Vine and Snap Chat.”

Whether you love Baird’s happy snaps or are deeply cynical about them, his success means others are sure to follow.

“Social media can show the more human aspect of the person behind the pollie,” said Mr Hutchinson. “This is the way of the future.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/nsw-premier-mike-bairds-strategy-to-make-his-social-media-posts-look-spontaneous/news-story/dff9e5dbd328169623d59ac1dd440797