Social media is not limited to just marketing your product or service.  Today, politicians utilize social media to gain advantage over their opponents. “Politicking,” commonly known as political marketing, is a practice around the globe that political candidates use to influence people in voting for them during election period. It helps put the candidate in a desirable light like how traditional marketing does in showcasing a particular product or service.

Political marketing provides candidates their own platform to show the public where they stand on particular issues. It gives political parties insights on public needs and wants and ultimately earn people’s trust, putting them in a more positive light, avoiding risks that can taint the image of a candidate.

It is neither easy nor cheap. It requires a lot of time for research. With the proper tools (Instagram Audit, for example, is a great tool that analyzes user behavior on social media), a marketer will be able to accomplish the following:

Identify the politician’s stance on certain issues. It will show what areas need improvement. If the politician does not have a good public image in relation to a certain issue, a new strategy needs to be employed.

Identify a successful approach. Much like in advertising, there are many ways to showcase your product to the market. For a politician, a live forum could be more effective than a television. Visiting the city leaves a better impression than handing out flyers. Social media could also get them votes from the younger generations.

Identify what the masses want. Oftentimes, people do not really know what they want until it’s introduced to them. This is the same when it comes to political marketing. To the public’s eye, position A is the best option, until another politician comes along and convinces them that position B is the best way to go.

Considering these points, it is safe to say that politicking has a lot of influence in people’s decision making. It may seem that you’re taking advantage, but it is definitely an effective way for politicians to reach their goal.

Social Media can also make a political candidate look good by making the people fall in love with the candidate. Their social profiles can show their good side to the public through strategic posting of photos and captions.

Hiring a smart, creative political marketer is the key to success. A smart marketer will help you achieve your goal without doing the same repetitive things the public is accustomed with.