During the most recent election campaigns, political parties’ and candidates’ attention has been drawn to social network sites (SNS). SNS provide an ongoing context for political exchange; enhance political participation with and mobilization of potential voters (e.g., Gibson/McAllister 2009; Kalnes 2009; Lilleker/Jackson 2010). By using SNS political parties and candidates can increase public awareness. However, when integrating SNS in their political marketing strategy, it is most important for political parties and candidates to know which determinants foster users’ participation on SNS? A vibrant participation inspires users to exchange their opinion and share their interests. After all, also citizens have an important role in defining how SNS will be used by political parties and candidates. The paper tends to present a methodological concept for measuring which determinants on SNS enhance users’ involvement? Therefore, the analysis will focus on the one hand, on the quantity of the participatory input; and on the other hand, on the nature of the input (e.g., number of user comments or “likes” on party posts over a period of analysis). As such, this paper provides a starting point for systematic analysis of users’ participation on SNS of political parties and candidates concerning direct communication and participation with the electorate. The methodological concept will be exhibited in an empirical analysis of political parties’ and candidates’ SNS in the most recent Austrian (regional) elections in Vienna in October 2010; the first elections in which all major and minor political parties and their top candidates used SNS as campaign tool. Literature: Gibson, R.K. & McAllister I. (2009). “Crossing the Web 2.0 Frontier? Candidates and Campaigns Online in the Australian Federal Election of 2007,” Paper presented at the 2009 ECPR General Conference, Potsdam/Germany. Kalnes, Øyvind. (2009). “Norwegian Parties and Web 2.0,“ Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 6 (3), 251–266. Lilleker, Darren G. & Jackson, Nigel A. (2010) "Towards a More Participatory Style of Election Campaigning: The Impact of Web 2.0 on the UK 2010 General Election," Policy & Internet, 2 (3), Article 4.
