The Influence of Social Media on Political Campaigns and Voters

This report delves into the significant role of social media in contemporary politics, focusing on how politicians utilize various platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to influence and gain voter support. The study begins with an overview of the research, background, and rationale, outlining research aims, objectives, and questions. The report then explores the existing literature, examining the effectiveness of social media in political campaigns and providing case studies. It investigates how politicians employ digital strategies, including online advertising and content creation, to shape public opinion and connect with voters. The research methodology encompasses descriptive research, a theoretical framework, and qualitative data analysis. The report concludes by assessing the potential significance of the research, highlighting the impact of social media on political culture and voter behavior. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding the dynamics between politicians and social media for effective political communication and engagement.

How social media is used by
Politicians to influence and
gain voters

Table of Contents
TITLE..............................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1
1.1 Overview of the research..................................................................................................1
1.2 Back ground of the study..................................................................................................1
1.3 Rational of the study.........................................................................................................2
1.4 Research Aims and Objectives.........................................................................................2
1.5 Research Questions..........................................................................................................3
1.6 Frame work and analysis..................................................................................................3
1.7 Potential significance of the research...............................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................5
CASE STUDY 1 ...........................................................................................................................13
CASE STUDY 2 .......................................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................22
REFRENCES ...............................................................................................................................25

TITLE
“How social media is used by politicians to influence and gain voters.”
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview of the research
Social media is a very wide term which plays most significant role in humans life, in
today's scenario social media play an essential role in transferring valuable information to the
population. In politics social media plays very vast role to influence politician and convince
voters to gain large number of votes (Shirky, 2011). In politics there are various elements of
social media are involved such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. These three are most widely
used channel through which it is easy for politicians to render information about their assistance.
The generality of social media in politics has create elected official and normal candidates
among public which are more helpful in accountable and accessible in gaining votes from voters.
Social media is most effective at the time of election. In today's scenario people are showing
their huge concern towards establishing an effective government party which helps in resolving
issues and conflicts of public. Politician are adopt various strategies in order to attract people
towards their party and collect more people to support them.
1.2 Back ground of the study
The social media is very much important in humans daily life, it helps in gaining idea and
information bout the things which are happened in the world. This helps in providing most
significant knowledge and news about the new market or changes that are happened in society,
culture, rules and regulation. In today's world people are more concern towards political norms
and legislation because these may impacted on peoples daily life and routine. Politician are the
important element of government, they helps in generating rules, legislation that are created by
government in respect of welfare of people and society. They act as a mid dater between normal
people and government (Howard and Parks, 2012). There are so many political parties are
available, but people choose as per the positivity of party in which extant they doing things for
public welfare. Government helps small politicians to identify the issues of public and give
potential support to resolve them in an effective manner. The research content the study about
various norms that are related with effectiveness of social media that are used by politicians. In
this the actual impact of social media on political environment are also be discussed.
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1.3 Rational of the study
This is the most essential part of the research work in which the actual purpose of
conducting the study is determined by the researcher. A rational for research is a combination of
reasons that are offered by the investigator in order to conducting a research on the basis of some
particular topics and aims. Rational of the study can be set in the two terms such as existing
evidence or theories and practical applications which are used in the research work. The
researcher take the research into consideration when it creates some certain purpose. It is
necessary for researcher to evaluate the actual rational behind developing the specific work
related with research (Cogburn and Espinoza-Vasquez, 2011). The present research conducted
just to identify the effectiveness of social media on political culture. In today's modern era large
number of people are based on the social media for collecting data ad information regarding
government and its policies. Social media is the most effective area through which people can
easily gather the data which are relevant for their own perspective.
1.4 Research Aims and Objectives
This is the most important step of any research because the total research work is based
on the aims and objectives that are created by the researcher in order to carry out the activities of
research in a right direction. These are predetermined elements which are need to be created
before start up an effective research work.
Aim:
To identify the effectiveness of social media which is used by the politicians to
influence and gain voters.
Objectives:
 To evaluate the effectiveness of social media which is used by politicians.
 To measure the impact of social media on political culture.
 To identify the ways through which social media aids politicians in influencing voters.
 To ascertain the value of social media in today's scenario.
 Recommend the ways to politicians so that they can influence their image in minds of
public.
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1.5 Research Questions
It is the responsibility of research to create question which are based on research aims
and objectives. These questions helps the researched to complete the work of research in an
effective manner.
Research Questions:
 What are the effectiveness of social media that are used by the politicians?
 How to measure the actual impact of social media on political environment?
 What the the major usage of social media in order to influence and attract voters?
 How social media is valuable in today's scenario?
 What are the recommendation in which politicians can influence their image in the minds
of public.
1.6 Frame work and analysis
It is the most peremptory part of any kind of research which helps in describing the
detailed information about the research investigation for finding out the valuable result and
outcome. For carry out the research in an effective manner such tools and techniques are used are
described as under:
Research design: This is the major element of research which helps in providing a
blueprint for the research in order to conduct the work in more efficient manner. The present
study has been developed through the utilization of descriptive research which assist the
investigator to collect large amount of data and information regarding to the cited topic.
Research philosophy: The present case study is based on the theoretical aspect because it
deals in the identifying the actual effectiveness of social media that are used by the politicians to
generate more votes for their own benefit. In the current research Interpretivism philosophy has
been used to reaching at most appropriate result and outcomes (Tufekci and Wilson, 2012).
Research type: The current research underpin the investigation in qualitative type, as it is
based on the qualitative data and inflammation that are collected by the investigators in respect
of elevating the relevant out come for the research work.
Research Approach: The cited project is based on the type of deductive approach as it
works with evaluating the actual impact of social media on political culture. This provide help in
gathering more significant and relevant data for running the research in a right way.
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Data collection: There are so many methods are available to collect data and information
for conducting the research in most effective manner, in this current research case study method
has to be used for gathering information in order to find out the result and output which is
required for the work.
Data Analysis: In the selected research dissertation information will be acquired through
techniques of qualitative means and researcher will apply the method of thematic analysis for
reaching at best and most relevant outcomes. The result will be based on the implementation of
effective case study. This case study helps in identifying the output and result.
1.7 Potential significance of the research
The selected research is based on the actual importance of social media in humans life in
respect of gaining proper data and information about the culture ans society. Social media is
helpful in providing quick response on the peoples request, it give detailed information about any
thing which are important for the purpose of society and culture. In the current report researcher
collect data and information thorough various sources to reaching at most significant result and
answer. Thus investigator taking help from the previous reports that are something similar to the
present research work (Criado, Sandoval-Almazan and Gil-Garcia, 2013). A new report is
prepared for overcoming the weakness and issue of the past research report. The major
significance of this research is that how people use social media to gather information about the
norms and changes that are regularly happened in the society. In today's world large number of
youth are busy in their work and life, they dint have sufficient time to read magazines and
newspapers, so they use social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for creating
awareness about the public norms.
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
It is the most essential part of the research work which is required to used by researcher
to develop an effective and in depth review of data which are generated through the secondary
source. It is important to conduct an effective measure of past literatures and data acquires with
the help of secondary source. A previous research helps in conducting a new and most effective
research in for the purpose of generating outcomes. This section mainly helps in providing in
depth study about the cited topic of the research. This part of the research helps an investigator
to carry out the research in proper direction with more appropriate discussion about the given
situations. In this section researcher is able to conduct a brief study about the questions that are
related with the similar field. This section mainly helps in providing most appropriate and
reliable results for the project (Enli and Skogerbø, 2013). This section helps in creating basic
foundation for investigator though giving data and information from different perspective of the
work. In this stage various tools and techniques are evaluated which are used in gathering data
and information.
2.1 The effectiveness of social media that are used by the politicians.
Social media play a very vast role in political culture and environment. There are so
many political teams are available who are act as the representatives of government and social
media play very important role in promoting the teams and political culture. In today's world
large number of people are using digital equipments in order to keep an eye on the activities of
political environment. People are more focused on political activities in respect of finding out
their own benefits, which helps in make their life more easy and comfortable. It is not possible
for an individual to make direct contact with government authority for resolving their issues, so
government provide some political parties which are selected by the public in order to identify
the issues of people are make proper efforts to solve them.
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(Source: Effectiveness of social media 2016)
Some major effectiveness are described as under:
Campaigns are investing more in digital: Political parties are spend huge amount of
money in social campaign for creating awareness among public about the parties. This is most
smart move of political parties for attracting more people towards their party in order to reaching
success. Their major aims political parties is to provide significant services to the public and gain
vote from their side which helps them to win the elections.
An online presence creates legitimacy: It is not easy for a person to go any where in a
same time, so they taking the help of social media to provide information which are beneficial
for public is a single time. It make humans life more easy to collect data and information about
the political environment (Harlow, 2012). Social media is used by the large group of people
because it the is for most important and first source for acquiring news and information. Online
ads helps in providing an effective communication channel through which is it easy for
government to give message and information which are related with change in legislation, rules
and norms.
Social media has created accountability: Social media helps voters to take an
experience of establishing connectivity with political parties through campaign, tweet and post
across the globe. This is less cost consuming process through which political parties can easily
give information about their part at regular basis. It is also very less time consuming process.
2.2 The actual impact of social media on political environment
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Illustration 1: Effectiveness of social media

Social media play most essential role in political environment. In today's modern world
large number of people are connected with social media in order to establishing connectivity
with people and political culture. Social media helps in providing fast information about the
changes that are arises across the globe (Landau and et. al., 2013). As per the opinion of
Maryanne Gaitho as comparison with other media, social media play major role in enhancing
politics and its culture. Social media allow public to communicate with others who are not face
to face connected with each other. Social media has various impact on political environment
which are described as under: Gaining voters: The major impact of social media is that it helps in acquiring voters
towards a particular party. The government provide a leader or political in different
geographical area who provide helps the public in order to resolve issues and give them
services that are offered by the government authorities. Political parties are provide most
significant to their public who are willing to support the particular party in respect of
gaining votes. Acquiring the attention of public: In today's modern world people go with the party
which is most popular on social networking site. This process helps in attaining the
attention of public. It makes easy for parties to get popular among the population through
providing services which are beneficial for local people. Government authority provide
support to those parties who are working for social welfare. Political parties set some
kind of logo and promote them on social media like Facebook, twitter, you tube etc.
these three are most popular media on which large number of population are available. In
today's busy world people are having enough time to check news, so they get proper and
fast information on social media with full detail.
 Creating awareness about their presence: This is very vast method of making
awareness about the political party among humans mind. Public is more smart they
select the party who works for social welfare and provide a quick response on public
demand and issue, so parties needs to present their self best in front of public in order to
gaining votes more than their competitors. Social media helps in establishing awareness
among public through providing proper information and divertissement about the
particular parties.
2.3 Major usage of social media in respect of attaining voters.
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In order to gaining votes and public support political parties use social media for creating
awareness among public through proper advertisement of party. As per the view point of Dullien
social media play an essential role in getting attention of large number of people. The major
work of political parties is to give benefits which are offered by the government in order to
improve the living standard of people. They are working as the representatives of government.
The government assign a political party in a single geographical area in order to provide services
to these areas which are beneficial for public (Dullien, 2012). The major use of social media is
that it helps in getting the attention of public towards the party in respect of gaining votes.
Through using internet it is easy for party to advertise in wide area and attract huge number of
people in order to gaining voters.
(Source: Use of social media to gaining voters 2017)
Social media can be described as the site of social networking. Social network considered
as the place where people can easily create their personal profile for establishing their presence
across the globe. This helps in sharing photos, images, videos and communicate with others. In
today's world people love to get popular and they use social media because it is most impactful
for providing publicity. Large number of audience are spend their huge time on social media, this
provide them appropriate information about public and people to whom they are connected with.
Political parties are provide templates and images with proper detail and achievement of people
on social media for creating awareness among public. Facebook and twitter is the most popular
sites of social media on which is is easy to make contact with various social pages and people.
This provide fast and fresh news for any situation which is arises at social environment. In
today's competitive world people are more focussed towards their culture and religion. They give
vote to he person who belongs form their cast, religion and culture because according to their
point of view these parties are helpful in making proper activities to resolve their issues. The
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Illustration 2: Use of social media to gaining Votes.

major of social media is that it helps in getting the information about the party which are
providing quick response on public demand. People give vote to those parties who are most
popular on social networking sites. Political parties are more concern on advertising through
social media rather than any other media because it is very much importation for them to give
fast and appropriate information regarding their party.
2.4 The importance of social media in today's scenario.
Social media can be described as the unit of electronic communication, through which
people can easily create various communities in order to share ideas, personal views, messages,
videos and images. As per the opinion of Samantha Rupert most of the population use different
means of social media every day.
(Source: Importance of Social media 2017 August)
There are various importance of social media in humans life, some are described as under: Creating awareness: This is most essential term in establishes awareness among public
about any thing. Social media allows an individual to make their personal profile on
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Illustration 3: Importance of social media