“Video messages are key”

Social networks have become crucial elements to capture votes for the next presidential elections in the United States, scheduled for Tuesday, November 5.

Both the campaign teams of Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, and that of former Republican President Donald Trump, have intensified their efforts on digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, with the aim of reaching voters in a space where they spend a lot of time. part of his time.

“Daily [las redes sociales] “They are more important if you take into account that in a country like the United States, more than 10% of the population already informs themselves about the presidential elections through TikTok,” explains Ismael El-Qudsi, general director of SocialPubli and co-author of the study. USA Elections #PoliticalPosition which has analyzed internet search trends and the social media presence of the candidates for the US presidency.

The use of social networks in political campaigns is not a new phenomenon, but the magnitude and intensity with which they have been used this year reflect a notable change in electoral strategy. Candidates not only seek to get their messages to traditional voters, but also try to reach specific audiences and undecided voters in spaces where they are more likely to interact casually, such as digital platforms.

The research also indicates that there is a growing trend in terms of content consumption and that is that users tend to consume more video content, especially among younger audiences.

“We are seeing that the younger generations are using purely video search engines, either YouTube itself, which belongs to Google, or through TikTok, which is increasingly gaining more strength,” comments Carlos Estevez, head of of operations of Internet República and co-author of the report.

The analysis also addresses the frequency of publication on social networks, with Instagram and TikTok being the platforms preferred by the candidates to create more content for users.

“What we see is that Donald Trump, on Instagram, has a very high frequency of publication, we are talking about 21 posts per week. We also see that Trump is talking a lot about his opponent, Kamala Harris. In that sense, we see that the Democratic candidate does not reach 1.5 posts per week, which is about 6 posts per month,” explains Estevez.

As for TikTok, the trend is reversed as Donald Trump’s campaign makes “3.11 posts per week” and in the case of Kamala Harris, it would be “8.4 posts.”

However, the fact that the candidates have a greater or lesser impact on social networks cannot be extrapolated to voting intention since the degree of interaction of users with the candidates could be due, for example, to contrary opinions.

“That is, correlation does not mean causation. Just because there are more searches for a candidate does not mean that he or she will win the elections. In the end it is a mixture of newsworthy things, so a study of searches on social networks or Google cannot be understood as something that is going to have a direct impact on the elections,” El-Qudsi clarifies.

Campaign themes on social networks

Kamala Harris has used her online presence to address key issues of her campaign, including women’s rights, climate change, and economic policies, among other topics. Its communication team has opted for an empathetic and close approach, using short videos and messages that highlight its proposals clearly.

For its part, Donald Trump’s team has taken advantage of the networks to promote conservative messages, highlighting national security issues, his opinions on migration and the border, in addition to addressing his economic projects for the next 4 years.

Why are social networks important now?

Social networks allow direct access to citizens, allowing candidates to reach voters who may be disconnected from traditional media. Additionally, these platforms offer segmentation tools that allow campaign teams to target specific messages to different demographics, increasing the effectiveness of their efforts.

Latino vote and social networks

The Latino vote could be decisive in the November 8 elections since it could end up tipping the balance of votes towards one side or the other. Latinos also have a large presence on the internet, according to political analyst Yamila Pino in statements to the VOA.

“86% of Hispanics use YouTube, 66% of Hispanics use Facebook, 58% use Instagram and 49% of adults use TikTok,” he details.

It is estimated that Latinos spend approximately twice as much time on YouTube as other demographic groups. In addition, young people between 18 and 30 years old have made this their preferred platform. Which also, the expert explains, can serve to reach the youngest voters, who are usually further away from politics.

“It gives us hope that if capitalized correctly, we can reach those young people who have had doubts since this electoral cycle began,” he adds.

Create trustworthy content in the face of a misinformation environment

In addition, both campaigns have hired content creators, with a great impact on social networks, to send key messages to captivate the Latino vote. Many times they are people who do not even usually talk about political issues.

“The communication strategy at the political level seeks familiar, close voices that have consolidated in engagement (loyalty), closeness, proximity and, above all, that trust that is so important today,” says Santiago Tejedor, researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

The objective, in his opinion, is that social networks also transmit an “authentic, relevant and powerful” message, in addition to explaining the importance of being well informed, in an environment where misinformation is the order of the day.

“We must generate greater trust or a greater criterion of authority in the type of content that is being broadcast,” he adds.

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