By Anuj Sayal

Flipping aside the traditional culture for political campaigning, social media platforms have acquired a dominant space in today’s politics. The magnum effect which social media has on the lives of Indians has seeped into the political environment too. Social media in politics has dramatically changed the way political campaigns are run and how audiences perceive participating politicians. Social media activities make leaders and parties appear more accountable and accessible to voters. Unlike the press and other media platforms, candidates have control over content and updates that have to reach the voters.

This cost and energy efficient campaigning strategy is best at engaging maximum people, regardless of the fact that their feedback is negative or positive.

Considering the fact that the Indian general election is the world’s largest voting event, every political party and their individual ministers are trying to make optimum use of multiple social media platforms. Politicians, with the help of their IT support, have started accessing microblogging services or weblogs to disseminate information to voters as well as to collect genuine feedback from them.

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Below are five key trends observed amongst political parties for yielding the best out of social media for mobilizing citizens.

Being omnipresent on all platforms

Political parties are trying their best to be present on every social media platform, be it through posts, comments, and opinions on various national subjects. Political strategists and think-tanks understand that with cheap internet and affordable handsets, it is inevitable for politicians to be actively present on all social media platforms. A strong social media strategy is the key to their omnipresence across platforms.

Creating easy and understandable posts that can be easily re-tweeted or shared, takes social media marketing to another level for politicians.

Social media driven political campaigns

Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have become instrumental for political campaigns. The platforms are allowing like-minded voters and activists to share news and information like campaign events.

Tools like hashtags are used by political parties for multiple uses, to label rivals and seed in their campaign idea to the targeted audience. Campaigns have been immensely helpful in breaking political rhetoric and build political mobilization.

Targeting platforms sensibly

Political strategists are using social media platforms sensibly, wherein the strategists are selecting platforms which are best fit to disseminate the requisite information. For example, Facebook can carry videos, photographs wherein there is no word limit for the caption; it is more focused on community building. Instagram is visual; YouTube is video-based and Pinterest is visual inspiration. Hence, politicians are using each platform, understanding the capacity and limitations every platform has for content and audience outreach.

Influencing Youth

Stats clearly suggest that it is majorly the youngsters who access social media and the internet the most. Recent reports state that 81 million young Indians will cast their vote for the first time; this segment is young, energetic and well aware. Hence, political parties cannot ignore this segment. Videos, posts, campaigns, interviews have been shared on social media to influence youth for the General Elections 2019. In the last year, political parties have stepped up their game and used social media to woo the youth.

Youth have also consumed social media, relying on the latter for news updates and political information. There have been compelling and highly influential posts, both by political parties as well as young Indians, which have catalyzed in molding public opinions and sentiments.

Leveraging data analytics

Political parties are leveraging data analytics to reach out to voters with desired messaging. The analytics are further used to gather insights and views of voters which are segmented into their socio-economic status, issues, gender and so on. Based on voters’ sentiments; customized messages and videos are circulated on social media platforms to the target group segments and the responses received in the form of re-tweets, comments, posts are further analyzed to create momentum.

(Author is Group Chairman, ADG Online with a career spanning more than 20 years in technology and digital domain. Views are personal.)