Social Media Marketing in an Election Year

The 2024 US presidential election is a number of months away, however social media is already politically charged. According to Sprout Social Listening information, from January 1 to March 6, 2024 there have been virtually 7.6 million conversations concerning the presidential election which garnered virtually 45 million engagements and greater than 103 billion impressions.

Of these conversations, lower than half had been optimistic. A proof level that illustrates what many social entrepreneurs already know: Presidential elections make social media a tough place to navigate, even when your model isn’t inherently political. In a typical yr, operating social media for a model account is advanced. But throughout a yr like this, the complexity and danger multiply tenfold.
To make it by means of this yr unscathed, manufacturers ought to think about what audiences truly anticipate from them, and have a plan in place to guard their model security.
Will manufacturers sit this one out?
The daybreak of social media activism—from #OccupyWallStreet to #ArabSpring to the 2016 US presidential election—modified folks’s expectations of manufacturers. Consumers began demanding that apolitical companies tackle a brand new degree of company accountability. According to Harvard Business Review, “Business has grow to be enmeshed with politics and social points…By 2018, CEO activism was seen because the ‘new regular.’”
In 2020, we noticed manufacturers talking out extra in response to the onset of the COVID pandemic, worldwide Black Lives Matter protests and rising considerations about local weather change. So a lot in order that model activism on social turned the expectation, and types who remained silent on sure points had been closely criticized.
But in the previous couple of years, client calls for have begun to shift once more.
A couple of years in the past, manufacturers talking out on points was non-negotiable. But as The 2023 Sprout Social Index™ factors out, in the present day solely 25% of shoppers consider manufacturers should converse out on causes and information that align with their values to be memorable. In reality, solely 21% of shoppers comply with manufacturers on social as a result of their mission or values align. With skepticism round performative activism on the rise, audiences worth manufacturers that prioritize offering wonderful service over lackluster public statements.

And it appears manufacturers are rising weary of taking laborious stances on political points for worry that it may alienate members of their viewers, invite a tidal wave of hate and trolling, or backfire in the longer term. When doing analysis for this text, no manufacturers had been prepared to talk about their strategy to this yr’s election—suggesting manufacturers are bored with being burnt by the tough political limelight.
Some manufacturers, like nonprofits and political associations, will inevitably must be current in social media conversations about controversial subjects. But even they are going to be selective about how they interact to succeed in their objectives on social. They should be strategic in order to extend consciousness, drive engagement and emerge from election season a thought chief. The secret is being fast to the draw in relation to sharing their distinctive POV on well timed subjects, and understanding which points are vital to their neighborhood. For instance, Gen Z voters are significantly in psychological well being, whereas Gen X is extra involved about employment alternatives.
Though it’s nonetheless early, it appears seemingly that manufacturers shall be far much less concerned in this yr’s US presidential election than in 2016, and as a substitute give attention to viewers engagement and defending their model picture.
The influencer loophole
While most manufacturers may draw back from sharing specific statements about their political affiliation, there may be a method they’ll nonetheless reveal their values: influencer advertising. Like Reformation’s newest marketing campaign with Monica Lewinsky and Vote.org, some manufacturers will depend on influencers and celebrities to speak their model values.

Interestingly, the Reformation marketing campaign focuses most closely on their new line of girls’s tailor-made workwear and Lewinsky’s political icon standing. Even the political message of the marketing campaign—“get out and vote”—strikes a a lot much less political tone than model activations in 2020.
When searching for the precise influencers to work with, think about how their political opinions will land together with your audience and mirror in your model. Even in case your influencer campaigns are apolitical, your model shall be related to the influencers’ values. Which can work to your benefit.
As Greg Rokisky, Social Media Strategist at Sprout Social places it, “When partnering with influencers and creators, the Sprout workforce examines potential companions’ total content material and presence to make sure they align with our core values. That doesn’t imply uniformity in thought or that we draw back from daring opinions…At the top of the day, these partnerships are supposed to create significant connections and add worth to our neighborhood.”
So, should you take the “influencer loophole” in your strategy to this yr’s election, be sure to do it thoughtfully, authentically and together with your model’s bigger objectives in thoughts. Rokisky goes on, “We know creators, like anybody, have their very own views and the precise to specific them. Our focus is on the content material that immediately pertains to our model, merchandise and the optimistic influence we hope to create for our present and potential clients and companies in all places.”
Social listening is vital to assessing model well being
Whether manufacturers go all-in on an election technique or dial it again, one factor is true: Businesses have far much less management over their model narrative in the age of social—and social media throughout an election yr is even much less predictable.
That’s why leaders from throughout the enterprise ought to ask their social workforce for normal updates on model well being throughout a presidential election. With social listening instruments, they’ll dive into the sentiment and scope of political subjects on social, and monitor for impending crises.
For instance, Sprout depends on listening much more in election years. “During the election we are going to use social listening to tune into conversations that might influence our model well being and picture. We are extra aware of defending our model from a disaster in the course of the election as a result of tensions are operating excessive, and it will increase the danger for each model on-line—even B2B SaaS manufacturers,” says Olivia Jepson, Senior Social Media Strategist at Sprout Social.
Sentiment evaluation is especially useful to gauge the tone of political conversations, and the way they intersect with model well being and trade traits.

Social listening isn’t simply related for this yr’s upcoming US presidential election. It’s simply as useful to elections occurring all over the world. With 64 international locations holding nationwide elections this yr, potential voters make up 49% of the world’s inhabitants. By utilizing a Social Listening resolution like Sprout’s, groups can arrange queries that monitor thousands and thousands of conversations occurring worldwide to zero-in on key learnings in seconds and guarantee they defend their model globally.
What it takes for manufacturers to “win” in this election season
Managing social in a presidential election yr can really feel uncomfortable and nerve-wracking. Like you’re strolling on eggshells—one misstep away out of your model cracking underneath stress.
But altering client preferences counsel many need manufacturers to remain in their lane, and solely discuss points selectively. While this takes among the warmth off of manufacturers, the danger remains to be excessive. Companies that wish to emerge from election yr comparatively unscathed and with their objectives achieved, must take extra care safeguarding their model.
Looking for assist maximizing your model safety technique this election yr? Check out our communications plan templates and webinar.

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