People throughout metro Birmingham are turning to the Internet for opportunities to connect directly with people, places and things. They do so in increasing numbers hoping that their voice will matter. Perhaps nowhere is the potential for this more noticeable than in the political arena.

Those elected officials who’ve noticed the benefits of communicating with their constituents via Facebook, Twitter or anything else will no doubt tell you that it’s become an invaluable tool allowing them to take a pulse of the people they represent at a moment’s notice.

While some people would say that you’re only getting feedback from a small portion of the community, remember that these are people who’ve decided to “opt–in” for news and opinion from you.

While the ability to listen in on the conversations of those who choose to be your virtual friends is endless, there are not many politicians who truly benefit as they still approach those dialogues as one-way instead of two-way. There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that, but you’re not really listening; you’re simply hoping that folks are listening to and agree with you.

A case could be made though that you may learn more from your citizens if you did listen online.

Jonathan Austin, Birmingham City Councilor for District 5 is beginning to do an excellent job doing just that. He mixes information that his followers want to know about with bits and pieces of his everyday routine. While he’s created a presence online via a website and a fan page on Facebook that is occasionally updated, he is most notably visible on Twitter (twitter.com/jfaustin). His willingness to allow folks a glimpse, even if only a peek, into what he’s thinking and his ability to answer questions about issues currently facing the city of Birmingham makes him an extremely accessible member of city government.

State Representative Patricia Todd has chosen Facebook to be her vehicle for engagement with citizens in Alabama’s District 54. She’s chosen to use her personal profile to update friends and constituents on the happenings during the legislative session and fellow residents of the district. While she does not always get involved in the conversations that follow her status updates, the comments and votes via the like button allow her to get that instant pulse that many elected officials say allows them to truly speak for their neighbors.

As our legislative session in Montgomery gets under way and a new occupant gets settled into the mayor’s office on the third floor of Birmingham’s City Hall, those of you who’ve chosen to take the leap into the world of social media may want to take a few pages from Austin’s and Todd’s use of the channels.

Many marketing consultants will no doubt tell you that listening is paramount online, but they’ll also remind you that showing that you’re listening by responding every once in a while is important, too. You may also want to show that you’re human, meaning that you can let folks know a little more about that restaurant that you went to or the game you’re watching in addition to the events and opinions about those things taking place politically, whether they be in City Hall or in the State House. You also want to talk with your followers and not just collect them so you can say that you have the most.

Numbers don’t always mean true engagement and you never know, one of those conversations may lead to something that may actually be able to do some good for the community as a whole.

It’s still early on in metro Birmingham’s use of tools like Facebook and Twitter in the political realm (as I tried to not so subtly point out two months ago), but it’s never too early to start good practices so that when the rest of the community jumps on board, you’re already established and ready to engage.•

André Natta is the stationmaster for bhamterminal.com, a community blog about Birmingham.