Social media is set to play a bigger role than ever in a general election this year, as voters and candidates take to the platforms to break news, share opinions and canvas for support.

There are now more than 15 million Twitter users in the UK and, while not all of them are of voting age, sites such as Twitter and Facebook are becoming increasingly influential.

The micro-blogging site has published research that found that one in three young voters (34%) aged between 18 and 34 have changed their vote from one party to another based on something they have seen on Twitter.

Nearly half of that age group (45%) also said they have become interested in or joined a political cause that they learned about through the site.

During the Scottish Referendum campaign last year, more than seven million tweets were sent including the hashtag "IndyRef" and that was just one of several in use.

Politicians are also increasingly turning to social media in order to keep the public informed as well as campaigning, and voters are clearly interested in the movements of their elected leaders.

A politician - US president Barack Obama - is the third-most followed person on Twitter, with more than 56 million followers.

Though the numbers for UK MPs are much more modest, all seven of the major party leaders have and use a personal Twitter account. Prime Minister David Cameron has the most followers, at 936,000; while the official account for 10 Downing Street has over three million.

Twitter also appears to be filled with those who are politically engaged, with 74% of 18 to 34-year-olds who spoke to the social hub saying they planned to vote on May 7 - a figure that is higher than turnout in the last general election. The figure of intended voters rises to 80% when covering all those of voting age.

The chance to influence young people via the platform is also very real, with 20% of the 18-34 bracket saying they were undecided on how to vote, and in an election predicted to be decided by the finest of margins, these votes could be crucial.

Twitter's global head of news, government and elections Adam Sharp said: "With more than three quarters (78%) of MPs already on the platform along with every major news outlet and political party in the country, we know Twitter is where the live conversation about the election is happening.

"With more than 15 million Twitter users in the UK, and many more seeing Tweets embedded across the fabric of TV, print and online news, the size of the prize is huge for campaigners who can seize the opportunity to communicate with users effectively."

However, there are warnings to be heeded from being keen and active on social media. Mr Cameron has fallen foul of the intense scrutiny that comes with it - a photo tweeted from his account showing a stern-faced Prime Minister on the phone to Mr Obama became an internet meme.

There were parody versions, with one even coming from actor Patrick Stewart, who replied with an image of himself holding a pot of wet ones in place of a phone, saying he was "patched in" on the conversation too.

Labour MP Emily Thornberry resigned from the shadow cabinet last year after she was accused of snobbery after posting a image of a house in Rochester draped with several flags of the cross of St George, calling it an "extraordinary" sight.

April 28 is also now known as Ed Balls day after the shadow chancellor accidentally tweeted his own name on that day in 2011. In 2013, to mark the anniversary, he retweeted the post.

With more than a third of Twitter users saying they go to the site actively looking for information about politics and the general election, social networks will be a powerful tool in the poll, but MPs and candidates will need to tread carefully if they want to get their message across.