Social Media Influence On Presidential Elections

680 Words3 Pages

In 1994, The White House launched its first website, which later prompt Clinton to be the first president to use email. Though, he only composed two emails throughout his presidency, Clinton first email was made to astronaut John Glenn, while in space, on a Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop. While new media shapes the way political news reach voters, it is important to gather how the engagement with voter on social media can benefit campaigns.

Building the Campaign

Voter’s Engagement

Social media is evolving every daydaily, and as more political candidates use social platforms to connect with voters, engagement is a struggle for most. Most Americans are not interested in the political system, but take part due to their interest in the candidates running. In the 2012 presidential election, Facebook social engagement gave voters a voice within their community. For instance, On November 6, 2012, more than nine million Facebook users clicked and shared the “I voted” button on the site (Hendricks & Schill, 2012). The options Facebook provided made it easier to encourage others to go vote and share their pride in voting with just a click of a button. …show more content…

Today, nearly all representatives, senators, and governors have active accounts on all social media channels. Figure 1.2 displays how many U.S. Senators have social media pages. The growing number of elected officials and presidential candidates on Facebook and Twitter is indication of social media influence. Though candidates are aware that a social media page is only the beginning to influence and engage voters, it is one of the most valuable tools for their