Assignment 1
Lakshmibai college, Delhi University
Bcom program (sem 2), section : C,
Name: Anishka kumari, Roll No : 23503204
political leadership and communication
Question : In the age of social media, how effectively you as a campaigner can use social
media as a way of effective communication?
ABSTRACT
A political campaign is carefully crafted for each candidate, to address their constituency and
present the candidate and party in the best possible way. In 1960’s Nixon and Kennedy’s
debate introduced the mass-produced version of face-to-face politics through televisions all
over the country ,this marked the advent of social media for political communication. This
advance in technology has created more opportunity for citizens to participate, as they learn
more about each candidate and have easier access to the candidates themselves.
Introduction
The intrinsic and perennial tendency of human beings to communicate with their fellows has
given birth to various means of communication, from oral to written and to virtual. Ever
since its inception, social media witnessed wider changes in its structure, mode and the
purpose of communication. The initial social media sites were largely centered
on personal communications and chats. The later phases of the development
of social media marked significant changes where enough scope has prevailed for both
personal and mass communication. Politics is not an exception. Successful
politicians inspire and motivate their followers and subjects through their
messages and action, thus keeping their public relations on a new high. The selection
of a social media platform of communication is now an integral part of political
communication.
Discuss
Social Media drove Political Communication –the Indian Scene
India is a typical example of a highly ‘social mediatized country for political communication.
Personalization of political content is found to be a specific feature offered by social media,
with politicians using it for self-disclosure about various political issues. The best example is
the remarkable use of social media professionals by the current Prime Minister of India, Mr.
Narendra Modi’s for his election campaign. The respective profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter and other platforms were subscribed and followed by a record-breaking number of
social media users. As per the current records, Mr. Narendra Modi is followed by 34.6
million people on his personal Twitter account, yet another 18 million in his
institutional account and has 34 million likes on Facebook (Burson-Marsteller, 2017), The Wall
Street Journal (2016). His live discussions - ‘Chai PeCharcha,' ‘[Link]' and
‘[Link]'; and his Facebook page - ‘I support Narendra Modi' were used for
augmenting the voter base.
. Election Campaigns
Almost all political parties and politicians in India have Facebook and Twitter accounts. The
use of social media became vibrant and took a new shape in India during the parliamentary
election of 2014. Unlike the previous elections, the 2014 election has witnessed the strategic
use of social media in the Indian election. Since then political communication in India has
redesigned its future. Political campaigning through social media was mainly aimed at the
youngsters and the middle class. The media and IT cells of the parties were tactically started
to tap into the power of social media
. Mobilizing Public Opinion and Civic Participation
The role of social media in mobilizing public opinion is important. Social media has become a
major source of information and communication for a large majority of the people
especially the youths and middle class. Shares and tweets are potentially shaping their
viewpoints and perspectives. The study found that along with the traditional face to
face campaigns, social media plays a crucial role in engaging the youngsters. social media
widely influence youth involvement in election campaigning - directly or indirectly. The indirect
means include sharing the posts and tweets with their friend's circle and direct means
include campaigning in their respective localities. Social media acts as a potential
platform for discussing ideological and political driven communication to the target groups
with the use of limited effort. The recent all India strike called by Dalit organizations in protest
against the dilution of the Atrocities Act-1988 invited mass protest throughout the country,
mostly fuelled by social media communication. The anti-corruption movement of 2013 and
the crowd mobilization against the Delhi gang-rape are prominent examples of how social
media acts as a medium for apolitical mobilization that changed the course of political and
social discourse in the country.
Beyond Election Campaigns
The avenues for social media do not limit it to the election campaign. Although social
media was mainly used during election campaigns in its initial years, the recent trend
underlines that along with publicizing the ideologies of parties at the central and state level,
most of the leaders have developed their own strategic plan to communicate with their
followers on mobilizing people and opinions. The framework of using it merely for election
campaigns has almost disappeared among the politicians.
The Fake news phenomena
There are two types of news in the political context – general fake news i.e news prepared for
political/marketable reasons and hyper-partisan news where reality is warped in order to drive
a specific agenda. the utilization of popular platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook and
Twitter by political parties in India for spreading fake news in order to manipulate the opinion
of the public. According to the author, misinformation through multiple social media
platforms was very common with the general public not spending the effort
to check the veracity of the news. Fake news campaigns spread through
trolls and ideologically and agenda led groups that incite violence or manipulate public
sentiments towards or against politicians during elections. Twitter was deemed the most
used platform for spreading fake news and this prompted the platform to purge many fake
accounts which had a positive effect on bringing down instances of fake news.
Advantages of social media in political communication
It raises money for political campaigns .It helps politicians stay up-to-date on current
[Link] media has allowed politicians to communicate with their constituents in a more
direct way
It has given politicians a platform to share their policies and beliefs with a broader audience
.Social media allows for two-way communication, which will enable politicians to listen to
their constituents’ concerns
Politicians can use social media to gather data about public opinion on specific [Link]
helps build relationships between politicians and the public .Social media spreads
propaganda
Social media has given politicians a new way to communicate with the [Link] allows people
to share their opinions on politics more efficiently than ever [Link] media tracks public
opinion on political issues
Politicians can use social media to get their message out to a broader [Link] can help
build relationships between politicians and the [Link] media has given politicians a
new way to communicate with the public.
It allows people to share their opinions on current events and [Link] can use
social media to get feedback from the [Link] helps candidates connect with [Link]
media spreads information about candidates and their [Link] can help campaigns raise
money
Disadvantages of social media in political communication
Easy access to social media has led to a rise in fake news and [Link] media
spreads rumors and innuendo, often leading to public [Link] have been caught
using social media for personal gain instead of for the betterment of their [Link]
media operates as a tool for surveillance and tracking.
One significant advantage is that it allows politicians to communicate with a large number of
people very [Link], this also means that mistakes can be made very rapidly and can
have a significant [Link] challenge is the fact that social media spreads fake news
or [Link] used to bully people, which can harm their mental health.
The use of social media in politics can be a double-edged sword ,It connects with voters and
gets their opinions, but it spreads [Link] need to be careful with what
they say on social media, as it is out of [Link] media builds relationships with voters
and other politicians
politicians need to have a social media strategy that works for [Link] everyone will agree
with your views, so you need to get prepared for [Link] media is a great way to
connect with voters, but social media spread disinformation.
The use of social media in politics can be challenging because it is a public [Link]
must be careful with what they say in [Link] can be not easy to gauge the reaction to
political posts online .Posts that are critical of politicians can lead to a [Link]
need to have a social media strategy
Methodology
Define Your Objectives:
Clearly define your campaign objectives, whether it's increasing awareness, mobilizing
supporters, fundraising, or influencing public opinion.
Example: The Bernie Sanders presidential campaign effectively used social media to mobilize
young voters and raise funds through small-dollar donations.
Know Your Audience:
Conduct research to understand your target audience's demographics, interests, and online
behavior.
Tailor your messaging and content to resonate with your audience.
Example: Barack Obama's presidential campaigns utilized data analytics to target specific
demographics on social media and deliver personalized messages.
Choose the Right Platforms:
Identify the social media platforms where your target audience is most active.
Customize your content based on each platform's strengths and audience preferences.
Example: The #MeToo movement gained momentum on Twitter, where survivors shared their
experiences and connected with others, leading to widespread awareness and societal
change.
Create Compelling Content:
Produce engaging and shareable content, including videos, infographics, memes, and user-
generated content.
Tell authentic stories that resonate with your audience and evoke emotion.
Example: Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign on Instagram featured user-generated content
celebrating diverse representations of beauty, sparking conversations and brand advocacy.
Encourage Interaction and Engagement:
Prompt your audience to participate by asking questions, conducting polls, or hosting Q&A
sessions.
Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions to foster a sense of community
and dialogue.
Example: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on social media, with participants sharing
videos of themselves dumping ice water over their heads to raise awareness and funds for
ALS research.
Collaborate and Amplify Reach:
Partner with influencers, organizations, or individuals who share your values and have a large
following.
Leverage user-generated content and encourage supporters to share their experiences and
stories.
Example: Nike's collaboration with athlete Colin Kaepernick for its "Just Do It" campaign
generated significant buzz and sparked conversations about social justice issues.
Track and Measure Performance:
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your social media campaigns, including reach,
engagement, and conversions.
Adjust your strategies based on data insights to optimize results.
Example: The Obama campaign's digital team used data analytics to monitor real-time
metrics and adjust their social media strategies for maximum impact during the 2012
presidential election.
By implementing these strategies and drawing inspiration from successful case studies, one
can effectively harness the power of social media platforms to communicate your
campaign's message, engage your audience, and achieve your objectives.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGY
Candidates must create a strong personal brand to form a message to communicate across
their social media sites. This begins with the SWOT analysis to establish the Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the candidate. After developing a campaign
message and brand a campaign must use this message to communicate across all
advertising platforms, including TV, campaign materials and social media sites. A national
campaign must have a team to handle social media sites, but a local campaign may only have
one or two people to update each site with new content.
Facebook:
• Create a Facebook Brand page
o Change design for cover photo, profile pic and about page to communicate campaign
message.
• Fans
o Invite candidate’s family and friends, the core of their supporters.
o Advertise page on candidates website and campaign materials to attract fans.
• Apps
o Add a donation page to encourage supporters to donate in your campaign.
o Add a photo page to show candidate at events.
o Add video page to share candidate speeches and events.
• Posts
o Update status multiple times a day.
Update with campaign events and locations.
Update with call to actions for supporters.
Update with candidates position on the issues.
Update with content on other candidates.
Update with family information, and celebrations.
o Connect with users.
Encourage engagement with questions.
Encourage engagement by sharing family events to help fans connect to the candidate.
o Advertise
When Election Day nears, use targeted ads to advertise to constituents.
o Monitor
Constantly monitor the insights pages to learn what your fans are responding to
Keep your page up-to-date with information and listen to what constituents comment and
talk about.
Twitter:
• Brand
o Change the background design to match campaign logo.
o Change profile picture to match campaign.
o Create an enhance profile page to include an additional banner.
• Followers
o Invite candidate’s family and friends, the core of the supporters.
o Follow other politicians and journalist.
o Advertise twitter account on candidates website and campaign materials to attract fans.
• Tweets
o Candidates
Tweet votes from the house or senate floor
Tweet candidates location and events
o Staff
Tweet upcoming events
Tweet photos from events
Tweet videos from events and speeches
Tweet at colleagues to show support
Tweet information about the campaign
• About candidates position on issues
• About other candidates positions on issues.
o Twitter tools
Use a custom hash tag i.e. #MITT2012
Use an @ reply to direct messages to other candidates or supporters
Monitor @ replies and hash tag uses to listen to constituents
• Advertise
o Promote a brand
Use promoted tweets
Use promoted trends
Use promoted Who to Follow
YouTube:
• Brand
o Customize the YouTube Channel design
o Include image for channel and for profile picture
• Subscribers
o Encourage supporters to subscribe to videos
o Advertise on website and campaign materials.
o In your videos include your YouTube channel link and a call to action in the comments.
• Videos
o Post TV commercials
o Post videos from the campaign trail
o Post videos that show the disadvantages of the other candidate
o Create videos with engaging content
o Make sure the quality of your videos is professional
• Advertise
o Pay attention to the key words of the videos to help people find them.
o Use Google Ad Words
o Use ads that overlay videos
o Use ads that play before videos