Indian Political Parties have in recent times extensively used the electronic media platform. It all changed with social media which led to significant changes in digital landscapes of the realms of communication of the polity. From swinging popular opinion about elections and casting votes during the processes up to undertaking very mass polls, their strategies brought tectonic shifts into functioning politics across India. With over 700 million internet users, the scope for digital reach is vast, and every political party is leaving no stone unturned in connecting with the voters online. The article will discuss the strategies of various Indian Political parties on social media and the ways they are using digital streams to their advantage.
Rise of digital campaigning
With the increased use of smartphones and the internet, social media strategies have become very important for any political party looking to connect with the masses. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp are now very important components of the digital tool kit for Indian political parties.
Indian Political Parties were somewhat laggard in adopting these forums. The general elections in 2014 saw a paradigm shift. BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of the earliest political parties to tap social media. Modi’s team put aggressive campaigns on Facebook and Twitter and made sure Modi was always connected to the people, especially the youth, through targeted messaging and real-time updates.
The Congress party was not behind for too long, as the rising importance of social networking was recognized. Teams of Rahul Gandhi shared this view; in fact, they became social media-friendly and started tweeting, Instagramming, and many more things to provide a face-like image of Rahul Gandhi.
But national parties are not exclusive. Regional parties like the AAP, TMC, and DMK have increased their digital footprint as well. For example, they used both Facebook and WhatsApp to connect with their regional vote bases, which provide more localized narratives that resonate with people more.
Targeting Different Sectors
Targeting the demographics is one of the effective aspects of social media strategies for Indian Political Parties. In a country like India, political messaging has to be customized to suit the various communities, age groups, and socio-economic classes.
Indian population is dominated by youths who are one of the most socially active groups on the medium. The political parties being aware of this have carefully designed specific campaigns targeting youths. The BJP, for instance, uses Twitter and Instagram to regularly share with its followers its accomplishments as well as the future activities the party has planned for execution, especially those which fall in the category of appeal to young entrepreneurs, students, and first-time voters.
Congress party has tried to win over the youth by making Rahul Gandhi look more approachable and accessible through informal interviews, posts, and selfies. Candid moments and behind-the-scenes snippets are common features of his Instagram page and make him look human before the young voters.
Social media might be a space with which the majority of people are familiar and accustomed, but it does not deter Indian political parties from finding strategies through the very same. It means today, the most basic types of political messaging will find their way to the furthest reaches of this colossal nation through WhatsApp. When such social media groups such as WhatsApp are involved in local campaigns, they prove so effective that the pockets of rural voters will directly witness the entry of political messages, video clips, or infographics.
The other hand, the regional parties like Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) avail of this opportunity. They make sure the campaign messages reach villages and small-town areas where other forms of media may hold no value by focusing on WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages.
Content creation and storytelling
The important aspects of the social media strategy for Indian Political Parties include content creation and storytelling. Parties know that engaging voters can be easily managed with content holding a story or content which creates emotions among voters. As a result, the digital teams have ideas of creative content brewing constantly.
Videos and Live Sessions
Videos are some of the most engaging content uploaded to social media, and Indian Political Parties have definitely utilized this trend to their best. The BJP digital team has published many great quality campaign videos that cover government’s achievement, promises, and electoral goals. Narendra Modi often delivers nationwide addresses or takes time off to communicate with party supporters via YouTube or Facebook Live.
The Congress party has also gained mastery over video content. Rahul Gandhi regularly communicates with the audience through Instagram and Facebook Live. The Aam Aadmi Party has been indulging in live sessions on both Twitter and Facebook; here, Kejriwal responds to queries of citizens about the policies of his government.
Memes have become a fundamental constituent of social media strategy for Indian politics. Memes are a lighter form to communicate political messages humorously, and the parties began to use memes increasingly with the intention of stating critical points in an extremely subtle manner. The meme culture has been more appealing towards the youth who have much relatability.
For example, during election campaigns, parties generally share memes to take a shot at their opponents while discreetly promoting their agenda. BJP and AAP have often been seen using memes in the most witty ways possible. These memes are very widely shared across Twitter, Instagram, and even WhatsApp.
Data-Driven Campaigning and Social Media Ads
Nowadays, in the digital world, any campaign needs the help of data. Now, especially when it is about the social media platform, all Indian political parties have got to learn how important having a strategy that is all about data can be to target those groups of voters with more personalized messages than ever.
Facebook and Google Ads
Paid advertisements on Facebook and Google platforms are the most significant tools in the social media strategies’ toolbox. Facebook and Google allow political parties to target voters based on demographic, interest, or behavioral characteristics. BJP and Congress spend heavily on social media during elections, running targeted campaigns, focusing on specific issues, or promises.
For example, in election time, it will remind the user about the manifesto of the party and adverse publicity about the opponent party. It depends upon user interest also. User interests can be like employment, education, or health in order to show the proper message at proper time for that particular user.
Usage of Analytics and AI:
Right behind paid commercials, Indian political parties are using AI and machine learning tools to predict how voters will act and think. Through data analytics, social media gives insight parties can apply in tweaking their messaging. When electioneering, parties use real-time data from social media engagement to tweak their approach, focusing on what works and abandoning what does not.
As can be seen, BJP utilizes analytics to understand how opinion is going on any issues on platforms like Facebook or Twitter. In doing this, the party ensures focus on the issues more addressed or spoken about and consequently their messaging remains topical or in vogue.
The social media campaigns employed by Indian Political Parties have transformed the way a nation conducts political campaigns. From youth engagement to rural outreach, from content creation to data-driven campaigns, today political parties have reached the complete potential of digital platforms in connecting with voters. As more and more Indians come online, the role of social media in politics is only going to grow. The trend is well known to the Indian Political Parties, who continuously evolve in their strategies on social media and never fall behind. The shaping of targeted, personalized, and engaging campaigns will thus define the future of Indian political parties in the fluid face of politics.
In short words, social media is no longer a tool for Indian Political Parties; it has become battleground. Viral videos, meme wars, or even the new or advanced ad campaigns will only grow in impact, as long as social media shapes the electoral outcome for Indian political parties.