What to Do, What to Avoid, and How to Prepare
Election years present special challenges in the creator marketing sector, particularly in the fourth quarter, as Election Day draws closer.
More time is spent on social platforms as people keep tabs on campaign news, which theoretically offers more chances for brands to get their message across, but those opportunities bring the danger with them of a brand or influencer posting something that unintentionally alienates part of the brand’s potential customer base.
Election-Year Trends by Platform
YouTube tends to see a bump-up in audience and time spent on the platform due to the long-form nature of most of its content, YouTube Shorts aside, as longer videos are an ideal forum for debates, detailed analysis, and interviews with candidates.
However, Generation Z’s heart still belongs to Instagram, with users in that demographic turning to the platform for shorter content that is easier to consume and, in many cases, comes from influencers who have already built up a trust factor.
Speaking of shorter content, Pew Research Center found that 59% of X (formerly Twitter) users cited keeping up with politics or political issues as a reason for using the platform, compared with 36% for TikTok, and 26% apiece for sister platforms Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t sleep on TikTok, however. While entertainment may be at its core, a separate Pew study found that 48% of its users between the ages of 18 and 29 cited keeping up with politics or political issues as a reason for accessing the application, while roughly one-half of TikTok users under 30 said news was a major or minor reason for using the platform.
Should Brands Pause?
Current events and tentpole moments like presidential debates may make brands ponder whether to call a timeout on their marketing efforts.
Brands may want to avoid getting caught up in political narratives or spending money at a time when their audience’s attention is elsewhere.
These factors should be weighed while making that decision:
- Event sensitivity: Evaluate the impact of the presidential election or related event on campaign messaging.
- Audience perception: Assess how your audience might react during a politically sensitive period.
- Creator engagement: Consult influencers to align on timing and audience sentiment.
- Timing: Decide based on event proximity and impact (pre-event, during, post-event).
- Communication strategy: Plan clear internal and external communication between both brand and creators.
- Duration: Determine the pause duration to assess audience sentiment and campaign effectiveness.
Or Should Brands Acknowledge Current Events?
There might be cases where a brand’s core messaging and values align with the political issues of the moment, but this is a route that should only be taken if the brand can remain authentic and not be seen as trying to take advantage of an opportunity.
Brands using this strategy should ensure that the influencers they collaborate with bring audience demographics and content that complement the ethos of the brand.
Conversely, if the focus of a brand’s campaign has nothing to do with politics, creators who are known primarily for political content should be avoided so that the brand is not unintentionally associated with divisive issues.
What to Post
Educational content that helps users better understand complex political issues is a good place to start, in formats including explainer videos, infographics, and interactive content.
Elections are often a source of stress due to factors like divisiveness and heightened emotions, so brands and creators should find ways to show empathy, promote constructive dialogue, and respect differing viewpoints.
One approach is posting light-hearted content that promotes joy, to help keep people’s minds off the issues at hand, such as ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), meditation, relaxation techniques, and self-care.
Taking that one step further, promoting acts of goodwill and kindness can be effective, via formats such as challenge videos, donations, and volunteer events.
Finally, the economy tends to rear its ugly head as an issue during every election cycle, and this can be addressed via content that promotes fiscal awareness and focuses on practical products over luxury goods.
Best Practices
- It’s in the contract: Brands and influencers can hash out details prior to the launch of campaigns, such as: restricted timeframes for political content on creator feeds adjacent to posts; the option of pausing the campaign or adjusting post dates based on consumer sentiment, political context, or unexpected events; and monitoring and/or moderating public comments that may fuel divisive political discussion.
- Brand safety: Agencies like Open Influence take steps including closely vetting creators and their history of political content, acknowledging that political commentary cannot be avoided altogether, as influencers are people with opinions. Applicable technology includes automatic comment moderation, automatic post notification, and social monitoring and listening.
- Be ready to respond: Brands should closely monitor the news cycle and be prepared to adjust or postpone content that aligns with divisive or sensitive current events. A crisis communication plan should be in place to address unexpected backlash quickly and effectively, with drafted prepared responses as one component of that plan.