In a historic shift, influencer marketing is now a cornerstone in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaigns, playing a transformative role in engaging voters, especially young ones, through social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X have become central arenas where political conversations and campaigns unfold. From the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, influencers are now pivotal players with exclusive access to capture and shape key moments that resonate with their millions of followers.

In fact, with Vice President Kamala Harris making history as the first Black and South Asian woman to accept the Democratic nomination for president, the DNC leveraged over 200 credentialed influencers to amplify this milestone, granting them unique access to events, interviews, and even a "creator's lounge."

Content creators are pictured at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo / Matt Brown)

Meanwhile, the RNC invited 70 social media creators to bring a youthful and relatable edge to their convention. This first-of-its-kind access is a powerful acknowledgement of influencers' role as amplifiers of political messaging.

Model and rapper Amber Rose also wore what looked to be a custom leather jacket made with the stars and stripes of the American flag. | Leon Neal/Getty Images

According to Pew Research, over one-third of adults under 30 use social media as their primary news source. Political campaigns are now tapping influencers not just to broadcast messages but also to foster authentic, peer-driven connections. The impact of this strategy could be monumental as the youngest generation of voters shapes its political identity. 

In this article, we'll explore how influencer marketing is reshaping the 2024 presidential race. Through stats and expert insights, we’ll examine the demographics each campaign is targeting, sentiment differences across platforms, and influencers' unique roles in this new era of political marketing. From Gen Z to millennials, and across party lines, influencers are reaching audiences on a personal level—reshaping the political conversation one post, meme, and story at a time.

The Importance of Stats: Why is Data Key in Understanding Influencer Impact? 

To gauge the true impact of influencers on the election, it’s critical to analyze the data and metrics behind influencer marketing. Key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement rates, reach, sentiment analysis, and follower demographics can reveal how effectively influencers are shaping public opinion, motivating potential voters, and amplifying key campaign messages.

Understanding these statistics helps campaigns identify which influencers have the most significant impact, what type of political content drives engagement, and how sentiment varies among different demographic groups.

Engagement Metrics

High engagement (likes, comments, shares) indicates that an influencer’s followers are not only seeing the content but are actively engaging, which suggests that the message resonates with them.

Demographic Reach

Knowing whether an influencer’s audience matches a campaign’s target demographic (e.g., Gen Z, millennials, or parents) can help campaigns choose influencers whose followers are most likely to vote.

Sentiment Analysis

Analyzing the tone of comments and shares can help campaigns gauge public sentiment—whether the content provokes positive support, critical discussions, or neutral observations.

Statistical Analysis of Platform Use in Political Engagement

Various social media platforms play distinct roles, with each one impacting the election differently based on its unique user base, content format, and engagement style. This section provides an overview of how each platform is influencing voter engagement for both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Let's have a look at the graphs:

As can be seen, Twitter (X) stands out as the primary platform for political content, making up 97% of all election-related mentions for both Trump and Harris. This dominance highlights Twitter’s role as the go-to place for real-time political updates, trending discussions, and public debate. On this platform, influencers, journalists, and regular users engage actively, sharing opinions, news, and live updates.

Platform-Specific Insights Breakdown

Each social media platform caters to different audiences and engagement styles, shaping how political messages are received and amplified. Here’s a breakdown of platform-specific engagement for the two candidates.

1. Twitter (X): Real/Time Debates and Trending Topics

Twitter is a fast-paced hub for news and discussions, where influencers and political figures share timely updates, respond to breaking news, and engage in debate.

• Trump’s Strategy: Trump’s presence on Twitter centers around active participation in trending topics and responding to news quickly, making use of the platform’s real-time nature to keep his name in daily discussions. His high engagement on Twitter is fueled by bold statements and interactions with followers.

• Harris’s Strategy: Harris uses Twitter for policy updates, campaign milestones, and responses to political developments, often targeting social justice topics to connect with progressive audiences.
  
  

Insight: For both candidates, 50% of Twitter content is highly polarized, showing either positive or negative sentiment. Tweets about Trump, in particular, evoke a 32% anger reaction and 28% anticipation, while content on Harris elicits a 36% positive anticipation and 25% anger.

2. TikTok: Influencing Gen Z with Short-Form Content

TikTok’s high engagement rate among Gen Z makes it an ideal platform for reaching young, first-time voters who rely on social media for political information. TikTok’s influence is driven by short videos, memes, and challenges that are often shared by lifestyle influencers.

• Trump’s Strategy: While Trump has a following on TikTok, his content is less tailored to the younger demographic. His focus on more traditional political messaging may not resonate as effectively on this platform. However, this ongoing election has seen an increased shift towards younger audiences and increased engagement and participation on their side.

• Harris’s Strategy: Harris uses TikTok to connect with young voters, often through influencers who discuss social issues, such as reproductive rights and environmental policy. Her emphasis on progressive values aligns well with Gen Z’s interests.

Insight: Approximately 68% of Gen Z regularly scrolls TikTok  for news. This demographic shows a preference for quick, engaging videos, making TikTok a critical platform for voter mobilization. The success of campaigns targeting Gen Z on TikTok reflects a larger shift in voter mobilization strategies. Traditional media channels are being supplemented—and in some cases, replaced—by platforms where young audiences are already active.

3. Instagram: The Influence of Lifestyle and Celebrity Content

Instagram is a powerful platform for shaping voter perceptions through visually engaging content, often delivered by several types of influencers and celebrities. Unlike Twitter’s text-heavy debates or TikTok’s rapid video updates, Instagram provides a unique opportunity to influence public perception subtly and authentically. Instagram allows influencers to share their personal takes on issues through relatable stories or casual endorsements. This approach can make political messaging feel more like advice from a trusted friend than a direct appeal from a campaign, creating a sense of authenticity and resonance with followers.

• Trump’s Strategy: Trump’s content on Instagram is designed to showcase his public appearances, rallies, and personal side. Stories are often used to provide behind-the-scenes glimpses, appealing to users who prefer a "day in the life” approach.

• Harris’s Strategy: Harris leverages celebrity influencers on Instagram, such as @Oprah, to amplify her campaign’s message of inclusivity and social justice. Her collaborations often focus on topics like gender equality, which resonate with the platform’s audience.

Insight: Instagram Stories generate 68% more engagement than regular posts, thanks to their interactive features like polls, Q&A, and swipe-ups, which encourage follower interaction. This makes Stories particularly valuable for political campaigns looking to maintain ongoing engagement and provide real-time updates.

For Trump, Instagram engagement reveals a different sentiment landscape compared to Twitter. Here, only 19% of content mentions express anger, while an equal 19% of mentions reflect trust, showcasing a more balanced view of his persona on this platform.

Kamala Harris’s Instagram mentions, meanwhile, display unique sentiment dynamics, with 21% of her mentions perceived as anger and an even 15.6% representing love, joy and surprise, emphasizing her appeal among certain demographics and the platform’s potential to foster positive perceptions. 

4. Youtube: In-Depth Analysis and Long-Form Content

YouTube is the go-to platform for long-form content, political analysis, and in-depth discussions led by opinion leaders and commentators. This platform suits audiences who seek comprehensive information rather than quick updates.

• Trump’s Strategy: Trump’s YouTube presence is more focused on live-streamed rallies, campaign ads, and press conferences, appealing to users who prefer detailed coverage of events.

• Harris’s Strategy: Harris collaborates with progressive YouTube influencers who provide detailed analysis of her policies, often diving into social issues to engage younger viewers interested in social advocacy.

Insight: Politically, YouTube videos analyzing political topics receive higher engagement from older demographics (aged 35 and above), who prefer longer, more detailed content. In terms of sentiment, for Trump, this platform reflects a staggering 46% of trust, followed by 11.3% of anticipation and a scarce 10.4% of anger.  In Harris’ case, she showcases a similar number denoting trust (47.3%), 16% of anticipation, and 11.6% of joy.

Insights on Content Format and Engagement

While all platforms play a role in the political narrative, each platform’s engagement style and format yield different results. 

• Twitter generates high engagement through debates, opinion sharing, and real-time news responses.
• TikTok and Instagram, as visual-first platforms, thrive on entertaining, image-based content that doesn’t always delve into the same level of discourse.
• YouTube is preferred by those seeking long-form discussions and analysis, with political commentators using videos to explain complex topics.

Gender and Age Dynamics in Political Conversations

This section explores how gender and age affect engagement rates, the topics that resonate differently among these groups, and the sentiments associated with discussions about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Gender Analysis: Overall Engagement by Gender

Despite women making up a larger portion of the online population, men are more actively engaged in political discussions related to both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump across social media platforms. Our analysis indicates that approximately 60% of political content engagements come from male users, suggesting a higher political engagement rate among men during this election cycle.

Sentiment Trends by Gender

Analyzing the emotions associated with political content reveals different patterns between male and female audiences. Let's have a look at it:

Male Content

In Trump’s case, 59% of males post predominantly negative content (45.7%), with sentiments denoting mostly anger (35.4%) and anticipation (31.5%).

For men discussing Harris, 39.8% post content that is 39.3% neutral and display sentiments of 39.4% anticipation and 26% anger.

Female Content

Women creating or sharing content on Kamala Harris (39%) display a 38.6% neutral attitude and the predominant sentiment of these posts is 38.9% anticipation, 27.6% anger and 9.2% love, especially on issues like women's rights and social justice.

On the contrary, 42% of women posting about Trump, create content with a negative connotation (46%) and the sentiments of these pieces are predominantly anger (36%) and anticipation (28%).

Age Dynamics: Engagement by Age Group

Contrary to the assumption that younger users dominate social media, older users (ages 51 and above) are the most engaged demographic in political conversations across all platforms, including those typically associated with younger audiences like TikTok.

• Ages 51 and Above: Account for 45% of political content engagement on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
• Ages 35-50: Contribute to 30% of the engagement.
• Ages 18-34: Make up only 25% of political engagements, despite being highly active on social media.

Sentiments and Emotional Impact of Content

When analyzing the sentiment and emotional impact of content related to both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, we gained insights into the underlying tone and potential effects on voter engagement.

Sentiment Analysis of Candidate Mentions

Donald Trump: Negative Sentiment Dominance

Content mentioning Trump shows a clear trend towards negativity, with 50% of Trump-related content classified as negative. This doesn’t necessarily stem directly from Trump’s messaging but rather from how audiences react to controversial topics. 

For example, discussions around Trump’s remarks on Puerto Rico generated significant negative sentiment, highlighting how specific statements can evoke strong reactions.

Kamala Harris: More Neutral and Positive Sentiment

In contrast, Kamala Harris-related content displays a more balanced sentiment, with over 40% positivity and 60% neutrality. This indicates that her content generates a less polarized response compared to Trump’s. Her messaging around social issues, including healthcare and equality, tends to resonate positively or neutrally with her audience.

Emotional Response Statistics

Trump: Anger and Anticipation as Key Emotions

Trump-related content evokes strong emotional responses, particularly anger (32%) and 28.2% anticipation (interpreted as hope). This mix of anger and anticipation suggests that while some of his audience feels frustration, others are motivated by the possibility of political change.

Kamala Harris: Anticipation and Love, with Lower Levels of Anger

Kamala Harris’s content triggers slightly different emotional responses. Anger is present in 24.8% of her related content but is less prominent compared to Trump’s. Instead, anticipation (36.5%) and surprise (8.7%) are stronger emotional responses for Harris, with love appearing in 7% of her content mentions. This “love” sentiment reflects the personal admiration many of her supporters feel, particularly on social issues like gender equality.

Influencer Profiles and Their Impact on Campaign Reach

As we mentioned before, influencer marketing strategies vary based on the reach, demographics, and authenticity of an influencer’s audience. Examining influencers aligned with Trump and Harris reveals how these profiles impact the reach and effectiveness of each campaign.

High-Impact Influencers for Trump

Charlie Kirk: Aligns Closely with Trump’s Target Audience

• Audience Composition: 90% U.S.-based, 70% male, predominantly white males aged 25-34.
• Impact: Kirk’s demographic aligns closely with Trump’s core voter base. His messaging amplifies topics like economic policies and national security, resonating well with his audience.

A tweet from Charlie Kirk endorsing Trump’s economic policy may lead to a high engagement rate, as it resonates with his audience’s values and political stance.

Jake Paul: High Follower Count but Limited U.S. Impact

• Audience Composition: 27 million followers, but only 40% are U.S.-based; predominantly younger (18-24).
• Impact: Paul’s international following and younger demographic make him more suited for broad brand recognition rather than targeted voter engagement.

A general endorsement from Jake Paul may reach a large audience, but with a low concentration of likely voters in the U.S., it’s more valuable for branding than for direct voter influence.

Kamala Harris' Influencers

Melinda Hale: Limited Reach Due to Fake Followers

• Audience Composition: Only 41% of followers are authentic, with 19% based in the U.S.
• Impact: Although Hale may support Harris’s campaign, her high percentage of bots and international followers reduces her impact in directly reaching American voters.

A pro-Harris tweet from Hale may appear to have high engagement, but the authenticity of her audience limits the campaign’s reach and effectiveness.

Tana Mongeau and Miki Angelou: Strong Alignment with Kamala’s Young Female Base

• Audience Composition: Both influencers have engaged followings among young women (18-24), primarily U.S.-based.
• Impact: Their female-dominated, younger audiences make them ideal partners for Harris, who aims to mobilize young female voters on issues like reproductive rights.

An Instagram post from Tana Mongeau supporting Harris’s social justice stance could generate significant engagement, resonating with younger female followers.

Key Takeaways for Effective Influencer Collaboration

Based on demographic and sentiment analysis, influencer selection must be strategic to enhance campaign effectiveness. Here are the key takeaways for maximizing influencer impact.

1. Demographic Alignment

Ensuring an influencer’s audience aligns geographically and demographically with campaign goals is crucial. For instance:

Trump Campaign: Collaborating with Charlie Kirk, who has a 90% U.S.-based audience of politically engaged men aged 25-34, ensures targeted messaging that resonates deeply with likely Trump voters.

Kamala Harris Campaign: Choosing influencers like Tana Mongeau, who appeals to younger female voters, supports Harris’s strategy of mobilizing women on social issues.

2. Audience Authenticity

Collaborating with influencers who have high levels of fake followers or bots can misrepresent engagement and reduce campaign effectiveness.

For instance,  choosing Melinda Hale, who has only 41% authentic followers, risks low-quality engagement that doesn’t translate into meaningful voter mobilization.

3. Emotional Resonance

Understanding the emotions that influencer-driven content evokes can help campaigns craft messages that resonate.

Trump’s Campaign: With a higher rate of anger and hate in his content, messaging could leverage this intensity to galvanize supporters around shared grievances.

Harris’s Campaign: Capitalizing on the love and trust expressed in her content could create an emotionally appealing narrative that motivates young voters to act.

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