10 - An analysis of the perceptions of the role of social media marketing in shaping the preferences of the electorate: A case study of the 2018 Colombian presidential election

Abstract

The recent growth in social media platforms and their use amongst individuals have strengthened communication whilst creating new forms of political participation and debate. In recent years, political candidates have begun to integrate social media platforms into their communication strategies whilst also using it as a tool for political marketing to increase their electoral potential and influence in the voting behaviour of the citizens. The overall aim of this study is to explore how digital marketing strategies influence the electorate during political campaigns, by analysing the role of social media marketing in shaping the preference of the electorate in the 2018 Colombian presidential elections. The research was initially developed through a literature review, where the main theories around the topic were discovered, highlighting the role that word of mouth marketing plays in influencing the decisions of the electorate. Interviews were then conducted with political experts and the two directors of the political campaigns. Alongside this a survey was distributed to a sample of the Colombian electorate, to confirm the findings from the literature review and to explore their perspectives towards the case study. As a result the study discovered that the use of social media in political marketing is fundamental as a communication strategy, with word of mouth playing a significantly important role as people tend to believe other members of the public more than the candidates themselves. A further finding is that social media strategies only influence the preferences of swing voters and not electorate as a whole, although amongst the general population it can be used as a tool to reinforce preconceived political positions. Finally, in Colombia, social media still only plays a complementary role to that of traditional marketing methods, as rural areas, which constitute a large proportion of the electorate, have limited Internet access.