Savvy politicians have been using social media since Barack Obama’s first intrepid campaign in 2008.

These platforms have the potential to increase visibility and boost supporter numbers while also raising funds.

However, these platforms can also be a source of false information which spreads quickly on a global scale.

Interactive and Communal

Social media can be an effective communication (or marketing) tool for individuals, non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, political parties, and governments. In the hands of savvy politicians, these tools can be used to engage voters, spread political messages, and mobilize supporters.

Unlike traditional media, social platforms enable people to interact with one another and share ideas and information in real time. The result is a two-way dialogue that can be harnessed by political campaigns to connect with constituents, respond to feedback, and shape public opinion on complex issues.

For example, TikTok allows users to create, upload, and distribute content such as videos, photos, text, and voice notes. The platform also offers features such as in-line commenting, message sharing, synchronized chat, photo tagging, and profile management. This interactive and communal nature of social media has fueled the popularity of these platforms among millennials, Gen Z, and other digital natives, who make up a significant portion of the voting population.

The platform has become a powerful tool for bringing grassroots political movements into the limelight, which would otherwise be difficult for them to accomplish with limited resources. For example, a grassroots movement called No Labels is utilizing social media to promote their message of bipartisanship and centrism. This group is currently campaigning to get on the presidential ballot in 2024 as a third party candidate.

Similarly, the Grassroots Labour party organization Momentum is using social media to build a large online following and compete with larger parties. Its ads are creative and positive in nature, and the organization is able to generate more attention with a smaller budget than its competitors.

In fact, according to a report conducted in 2021 by FiscalNote, 78% of digital natives seek out election news through social media. This figure is higher than the corresponding percentages for millennials, Generation X, and baby boomers.

Moreover, the platform’s live communal viewing capabilities have also attracted many advertisers, who pay a premium for the massive audiences that they can attract through social media ad placement. Hence, it is important for politicians to consider the potential effects of social media before leveraging these tools for their political campaigns.

Real-Time Communication

As a powerful communication tool, social media allows politicians to reach voters in real time. For example, a tweet can go viral and reach thousands of people in minutes. This type of instant feedback can be useful for candidates as they develop their campaigns and shape public opinion.

In addition, social media can help level the playing field in politics by reducing the cost of campaigning. For instance, traditional media channels such as newspapers and television can be expensive to advertise in, but social media platforms are free to use. As a result, political newcomers can compete more effectively with incumbents and established parties.

Another way that social media can empower political newcomers is by promoting bipartisanship and centrism. The movement No Labels leverages social media to promote its platform, which seeks to bring together leaders from both major parties to form a united majority that can tackle important issues facing the country. The movement has gained traction on Twitter and YouTube, and is pushing for its candidates to receive ballot lines in all states for the 2024 presidential election.

Social media platforms also provide politicians with a wide range of data that can be used to target their content and ads. For example, a politician may target their campaign content to users based on their location or interest categories. In this way, they can ensure that their message reaches potential voters who are interested in particular policies or issues.

Unfortunately, this data collection can be misused by hostile state actors to undermine democracy by spreading misinformation and disinformation during elections. For example, during the 2016 presidential election, Russia employed tactics such as propaganda, troll farms, and bots to spread false information and sow division.

Moreover, the impersonal nature of social media platforms can lead to political echo chambers, in which users are shown more content that aligns with their existing beliefs. For example, a user who likes posts about liberal-leaning candidates on Facebook will see more posts from the same kind of source. This can limit the ability of political stakeholders to control what information should reach voters, which can be a negative impact on civil discourse and voter awareness.

Raising Funds

For many politicians, the main goal of a campaign is to raise funds. This is where social media can be most useful. The platform allows candidates to communicate directly with voters and shape discussion on important issues. It also enables them to communicate their ideas and policies while building a community of supporters. But how are they leveraging it to achieve this?

Traditionally, campaigns have required exorbitant amounts of money to get off the ground. This has made it difficult for political newcomers to gain traction and has given incumbents an incumbency advantage. But social media has changed this by enabling smaller political parties to compete with incumbents and other big spenders.

The key is social media platforms that have a large user base and provide ways for users to interact with one another in real time, such as Twitter and Facebook. These platforms can be used to promote events, fundraisers and other activities that help a political party build its supporter base. They can also be used to raise funds by encouraging people to contribute to a particular project or cause.

Another powerful tool is the ability to create and share content that is informative, interesting or entertaining, such as videos, photos or memes. This can increase engagement and encourage people to donate or volunteer for the political party. It can also be used to humanize the political candidate and make them more likable. For example, Pete Buttigieg introduced his shelter dogs to his followers on Twitter or Elizabeth Warren engaged with Instagram users in real-time during her presidential campaign.

Lastly, the platform can be used to communicate with donors and participants after a fundraiser or event is completed. This can include thank you posts that show the impact of donations and work being done with those funds, as well as personal thank-you messages to individual contributors. This will help nurture a casual donor into a lifelong supporter.

As the political landscape continues to evolve and social media platforms are becoming more regulated and monetized, it’s vital that nonprofits leverage these tools to their fullest potential. This includes setting clear goals, creating compelling content, using social media analytics and leveraging influencers to promote fundraisers. In addition, a nonprofit constituent relationship management system that integrates with different software, including a digital giving platform, website and social media, can help streamline fundraising processes and provide greater visibility of your organization’s progress – in addition to having a campaign strategist on office culture on-board.

Mobilizing Support

Using social media can help candidates engage with voters. They can share promotional content, promote talks and school visits, and create peer pressure on voting days to increase the number of votes. In addition, they can respond to comments and questions in real time, and use their platforms to communicate with constituents on a more personalized basis. Political parties can also measure the performance of different campaigns, allowing them to make data-driven adjustments.

Moreover, political newcomers can level the playing field with incumbents on social media by mobilizing supporters and raising funds. In a study, researchers Maria Petrova, Ananya Sen, and Pinar Yildirim found that opening a Twitter account helped new politicians raise between 1% and 3% of what they would have raised in a traditional two-year campaign. This was especially true for candidates who were not well-known in the political arena. The team concluded that this effect was due to social media’s ability to lower barriers for entry into the political arena.

Another way to mobilize support is by leveraging humor and relatability. This can make the candidate more memorable to voters, increasing their chances of winning their vote. For example, in the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Texas, Beto O’Rourke used humor to connect with his audience on a more personal level and gain their trust.

Additionally, new candidates can humanize themselves in the eyes of voters by sharing personal anecdotes and interactions. Using TikTok, for example, allows candidates to interact with their followers in a more informal way. They can also share videos of themselves participating in community activities, which can give voters a more authentic glimpse into their character and personality.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of social media, it is important for politicians to understand their audiences’ preferences and interests. By doing so, they can tailor their messages and content to appeal to those individuals more effectively. For example, political audiences on social media tend to discuss more practical topics like NSA surveillance than they do the more abstract concerns of a general population.