1. Overview of Social Media and Politics in Canada
Social media and digital channels have influenced almost every area of human life and endeavor so political campaigns are no different. More than 85% of the Canadian population uses social media on a daily basis, making it a critical piece of the political campaigning jigsaw puzzle. Consequently, social media in Canadian politics has seen a staggering growth over the past few years. From municipal to federal elections, candidates and political organizations have taken to popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok and Twitter amongst others to engage and woo voters, especially those aged 18-30 and first-time voters.
2. Rise of Facebook Advertising in Canadian Politics
Since 2008, social media has been a standard fixture in political campaigns around the world as evident from Barack Obama’s highly innovative campaign which brought the use of Facebook in the limelight. Аt home, in Canada, Facebook advertising has been a mainstay of Canadian political campaigning for quite some time as well. Over the last few years, it has seen increased investments and interest from all parties, especially after its compliance with the bill C-76 (when Google, Twitter, Snapchat and many others backed out).
At EOK Consults, a leading Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, we have seen firsthand how political parties in Canada have subsequently invested record amounts in online advertising during the 2021 federal elections. Facebook remains a vital tool in reaching voters, especially as other platforms restrict political advertising.
3. Pandemic Boost to Social Media in Campaigning
The use of social media in Canadian politics was clearly on the rise, however, the pandemic accelerated the growth to unprecendented levels. In the wake of Covid-19 stay-at-home orders, internet and social media use skyrocketed. The health regulations and guidelines further restricted traditional campaign strategies like door-knocking and meet-and-greets forcing politicians and political organizations to adapt. With most people staying home and utilizing social media to stay connected, political campaign spending moved mostly online in a strategic pivot. This led to a boom in spending and focus on social media for campaigning.
Over $2.7 million was spent by all federal parties during the first half of the 2021 Federal Elections campaign, only on Facebook and Instagram! As per publicly available data, the total spending on Facebook advertising by all parties combined was more than C$6.7 million in the final 3-month period up to the election. In the context of other online platforms (news outlets & media conglomerates), the online political advertising estimates for Canada’s 2021 Federal election range from $10-15million highlighting the massive growth over the past few years.
In addition, Pierre Poiliever’s campaign during the Conservative Party Leadership elections in 2022 had an impressive digital media advertising strategy. A solid grassroots campaign complimented by a well-thought out digital direct-to-the-public media strategy with over 33K of ad spending on Facebook helped him secure a thumping victory over his competitors.
As evident, political candidates and organizations are increasingly establishing an online presence on a continuous basis. Given the high engagement levels and measurable return-on-investment of digital platforms, we might reasonably assume that those numbers will increase in future elections.
4. Social Media in Canadian Politics – Is This The Future of Political Campaigning?
One thing is clear – digital political campaigning is here to stay and grow as people are more social than ever. Canada’s political parties have embraced the Internet and social media; the online world is now a critical part of any political campaign. The variety in media formats, the congregation of voters and most importantly, the scalability and measurability of social media political campaigns make them a preferred choice for any political operative and campaign team.
Heading into the future, the ground rules for a successful social media political campaign include consistent messaging, brand building and focus on offering valuable and engaging content. With the help of EOK Consults, a top-tier Digital and Social Media Marketing Agency for Political Campaigns, political candidates can create well-thought-out campaign strategies that resonate with voters and drive measurable results.
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