What businesses can learn from Andy Burnham's accessible social media strategy: Rebecca Lockwood
Tracy Brabin recently racked up a well-performing social media video showing her simulating an appearance on a Netflix-style documentary about why West Yorkshire deserves a tram network.
“I’ve never been more ready,” Brabin jokes to camera. And she’s never been more trend-led, either.
It seems she’s been taking notes from Andy Burnham who has been demonstrating that he (and his team) might be the first British PM to understand how to use social media effectively. From hosting an ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) on Reddit to self-filmed social videos and appearances in creator content, Burnham’s communications strategy has been impossible to miss over the past few months, and clearly, it’s starting to influence strategies even closer to home too.
Burnham, and arguably his social-first inspiration, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, are helping set the tone for the future of political communications. Reaching people no longer means relying on traditional media alone.
Owned channels can be just as influential when it comes to driving awareness, if organisations take them seriously.
While Reddit is yet to cement itself in most social strategies, its influence continues to grow. Whether it’s shaping AI search results, sharing local news and opinions, supporting recruitment efforts or, in Burnham’s case, hosting an AMA, it has become a platform communications professionals can’t afford to ignore.
How does it work? Burnham announces a date and time, invites questions and responds directly to users. It’s still a managed communications exercise, but one that feels far more accessible and authentic than a traditional interview or press release.
It’s also effective. Burnham’s AMA earlier this summer generated thousands of comments, creating meaningful engagement at a crucial point in his campaign. Of course, any public figure is selective, but the willingness to show up and engage directly is something many audiences now expect.
One of the more surprising appearances came on Career Ladder, the viral social series hosted by creator Max Klymenko. The premise is simple: Klymenko has two minutes to guess your job based on vague clues. It’s light-hearted, entertaining and seemingly unrelated to politics.
But that’s the point.
Whether it’s reacting to his favourite songs, rating AI-generated posters of No.10 North or appearing in creator-led content, these formats aren’t designed to communicate policy. They build familiarity, visibility and connection with audiences who may never engage with more formal campaign content.
The real story here isn’t that the Prime Minister is posting on Reddit or appearing in creator content. It’s that social media is no longer a channel running alongside a communications strategy. In many cases, it is the communications strategy, and it’s helping him bypass the traditional established media.
As Laura Kuenssberg since told Newscast: “He has a view and his team clearly has a view, that is not just that it [social] matters, but that it is a political advantage, maybe even an obligation to be taking us all along on this ride”.
Burnham’s team understands something many businesses are still grappling with: audiences don’t always want polished corporate messaging delivered from a distance. They want accessibility, personality and direct engagement.
Credit is due to the communications team behind Burnham. Whatever your political views, their approach demonstrates the power of a strategy that is consistent, confident and genuinely audience led.
Rebecca Lockwood is a PR Consultant for Aberfield Communications