Facebook Campaign Research Articles

FACEBOOK AS A PLATFORM FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION CAMPAIGN: A STUDY ON NARAYANGANJ CITY CORPORATION ELECTION 2022

This study aims to determine how Facebook is utilized as a platform for election campaigns in the local government election. The study has followed both quantitative and qualitative approaches employing content analysis and Key Informant Interview (KII) methods for data collection. Content has been analyzed under four major codes including a thematic analysis conducted using NVivo-12 Plus. This study revealed that photo content constitutes the majority of posts on candidates' Facebook pages during election campaigns, while video content receives the highest number of shares from users. Additionally, the study reveals that approximately 90% of users’ comments on the Facebook platform are positive. The most prevalent campaign category observed on candidates' Facebook pages is the field campaign. Key informant interviews also indicate that candidates’ perceptions and attitudes about the Facebook campaign are quite optimistic. The interviewees believe that social media engages more people more rapidly and affordably than traditional methods of campaigning. Moreover, they emphasized the crucial role of social media platforms in persuading voters, attracting a large audience at a minimal cost.

(De)legitimation of COVID-19 vaccination narratives on Facebook comments in Romania: Beyond the co-occurrence patterns of discursive strategies.

The postmodern medical paradigm has empowered online users in the (de)legitimating process of health-related topics. By employing a co-occurrence analysis, this study identifies the thematic patterns used by Romanian online users in their multimodal comments to the #storiesfromvaccination Facebook campaign run by the Romanian government. The findings show that the commenters assessed source credibility through two thematic patterns: 'source exemplarity' and 'source distrust'. Health experts were more legitimized than laypersons and role models as sources in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Two thematic patterns emerged in the assessment of vaccination, namely: 'immunization - past and present challenges' and 'vaccination supporter versus opponent cleavage'. In the discussion on immunization, a polarization between a nostalgic longing for the past and a present corrupted medical and political system prevailed, whereas the important feature of discursive antagonism could be observed in the latter thematic pattern. The co-occurrences of (de)legitimation strategies are explained with reference to the political and medical context, along with the challenges of social media usage in online vaccination communication campaigns.

An analysis of a video education campaign on COVID-19 for healthcare workers in Africa delivered through Facebook.

The COVID-19 pandemic required rapid dissemination of accurate information across the world to both healthcare workers and the general public. Social media represents an opportunity to undertake this. The aim of this study was to analyse a healthcare worker education campaign in Africa delivered through the social media platform Facebook and discuss the feasibility of this approach for future healthcare workers and public health campaigns. The campaign ran from June 2020 to January 2021. The Facebook Ad Manager suite was used to extract data in July 2021. Videos were analysed for total and individual video reach, impressions, 3-second video plays, 50% plays and 100% plays. The geographic use of the videos and age and gender breakdown was also analysed. Total reach of the Facebook campaign was 6,356,846 and total impressions was 12,767,118. The video with the highest reach was 'Hand washing steps for health workers' with a reach of 1,479,603. The total campaign 3-second plays were 2,189,460 decreasing to 77,120 for 100% play duration. Facebook advertising campaigns may have the ability to reach large populations and achieve a range of engagement outcomes that would be more cost effective and have greater reach when compared with traditional media. The outcome of this campaign has shown the potential of social media's use in public health information, medical education and professional development.

MindingMe: A Feasibility Study on Conducting Neuroimaging Research Among Diverse Groups.

Neuroimaging tools, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, are useful in understanding differences in brain activity that predict behavior change. Designing interventions based on brain activity and response may enhance current self-management regimens. Yet, diverse groups, such as Black women with chronic illness, have historically been left out of neuroimaging research. The aims of this study were to assess (a) the feasibility of conducting neuroimaging research among Black women with hypertension and (b) the predictors of willingness to participate in future studies. A survey designed to assess interest in participating in neuroimaging research was distributed through a Facebook campaign targeting Metro-Detroit Blacks with hypertension. A 10-minute, 44-item survey queried the women regarding their perspectives related to participation in neuroimaging studies. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict willingness to participate in a future study; they included a range of predictors: demographic indicators, history of blood pressure diagnosis, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and availability of a support person who could accompany the participant to a future study session. Two hundred fifty-seven Black women completed the survey. On average, the women were 59 years old, had been diagnosed with hypertension for 14 years, and had a systolic blood pressure of 141 mmHg. Participants were willing to travel 40 miles to participate, and many preferred to drive a personal vehicle. Some women were claustrophobic (20%) or had metal in their bodies (13%) and, therefore, would likely be ineligible to participate in neuroimaging studies. Some were nervous about the "small space" of a scanner, but others stated they would "enjoy participating" and wanted to "help future people…get well." Women who had a support person to attend their appointment with them were almost 4 times more likely to state they would participate in future studies. Those who had been diagnosed with hypertension for more than 11 years (the median) were almost 3 times more likely to report interest in participating in a future study than those participants who had been diagnosed with hypertension for 11 years or less. Black women with hypertension were interested and eligible to participate in neuroimaging research. Despite some of the facilitators and barriers we identified, the women in our sample were interested in participating in future studies. The presence of a support person and length of time with a hypertension diagnosis are important predictors of willingness to participate in a future study.

Experimental evidence on improving COVID-19 vaccine outreach among migrant communities on social media

Studies from several countries suggest that COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower among migrants compared to the general population. Urgent calls have been made to improve vaccine outreach to migrants, however, there is limited evidence on effective approaches, especially using social media. We assessed a targeted, low-cost, Facebook campaign disseminating COVID-19 vaccine information among Arabic, Turkish and Russian speakers in Germany (N = 888,994). As part of the campaign, we conducted two randomized, online experiments to assess the impact of the advertisement (1) language and (2) depicted messenger (government authority, religious leader, doctor or family). Key outcomes included reach, click-through rates, conversion rates and cost-effectiveness. Within 29 days, the campaign reached 890 thousand Facebook users. On average, 2.3 individuals accessed the advertised COVID-19 vaccination appointment tool for every euro spent on the campaign. Migrants were 2.4 (Arabic), 1.8 (Russian) and 1.2 (Turkish) times more likely to click on advertisements translated to their native language compared to German-language advertisements. Furthermore, findings showed that government representatives can be more successful in engaging migrants online compared to other messengers, despite common claims of lower trust in government institutions among migrants. This study highlights the potential of tailored, and translated, vaccination campaigns on social media for reaching migrants who may be left out by traditional media campaigns.

Adapting High Impact Practices in Family Planning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences From Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.

We describe how High Impact Practices (HIPs) in family planning (FP) were adapted across Kenya, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe to maintain access to services in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Using a qualitative data collection tool structured around 3 HIP categories (service delivery, demand creation, and enabling environment), adaptations in FP programs during the pandemic were documented. We describe adaptations made to 3 specific HIPs: mobile outreach, community health workers, and digital health for social and behavior change. In Zimbabwe, the Mhuri/Imuli project adapted its mobile outreach model integrating community-based outreach with facility-based outreach. The number of outreach clients served per week peaked at 1,759 (July 2020) from a low of 203 (May 2020). Clients choosing long-acting reversible methods increased from 22% to 59% during the 3 months before and after lockdown, respectively.In Kenya, a program addressed youth's hesitation to visit health facilities through youth community health volunteers, who provided counseling, community dialogues, contraceptive pills, and condoms. Over 6 months, the program reached 1,048 youth with community dialogues, and 4,656 youth received FP services. In Nigeria, peer mobilizers provided services through a socially distanced community-based program to help adolescent girls access contraceptive self-injection when movement restrictions limited youth's ability to travel to facilities.In Nigeria, Adolescents 360 adapted sexual and reproductive health information programs for virtual delivery through WhatsApp. A contraceptive education Facebook campaign gained more than 80,000 followers, reached 5.9 million adolescents, and linked 330 adolescents to program-supported facilities from January to March 2021. In Kenya, the Kibera-based project used WhatsApp to reach youth with discussion groups and health workers with skills strengthening. Monitoring how projects adapt HIPs to ensure continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic can help inform the implementation of successful adaptations in the face of present and future challenges.

Using Social Media Engagement to Raise Pre-Diabetes Awareness for Rural Idaho Hispanics or Latinos

Background: Pre-diabetes is a condition that usually has no symptoms, which can lead to decreased awareness of its presence. Like other chronic diseases, pre-diabetes disproportionately affects Hispanic/Latinos populations and places them at greater risk for severe consequences. Latinos are not fully aware of what pre-diabetes is or how it differs from diabetes. This represents a healthcare disparity that requires engagement with the Latino population to address it. Complications of diabetes could be dramatically reduced by increasing awareness of pre-diabetes through engagement with Latinos, health care providers, and pre-diabetes awareness for Latinos. Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand how effective the use of a targeted social media campaign could increase awareness of prediabetes. Design and sample: A two-week long Facebook campaign was conducted with four ads targeted to Idahoans aged 18 plus. These messages involved awareness of prediabetes. The amount of engagement was tracked including shares, reactions, and views. Paid boosts were used to evaluate the natural reach of the messages versus reach with a paid boost. Results: Combined reach of all four posts was 36,578. Organic reach was 7,416 or 20.2% of views while paid reach comprised 29,162 or 79.7% of views. Total reactions totaled 627 with 538 or 85.8% being “like.” The second highest reaction was sad with 37 or 6.7%; all the sad reactions were limited to post one and post three. Conclusion: Use of Facebook appears appropriate to reach individuals with health-related messages, though it is clear that the use of paid boosts improves reach.

Using social media as a recruitment strategy in web surveys

The main objective in this study was to examine Facebook and Google advertisements as a recruitment strategy in the “European Web Survey on Drugs: patterns of use” project. The Facebook recruitment campaigns invited individuals who lived in Croatia, the Netherlands or Switzerland, who were over 18 years of age and who had consumed at least one drug (cannabis, MDMA / ecstasy, (meth)amphetamines or cocaine) in the past 12 months, to complete a web survey about their patterns of drug use. The Google campaign was focused on participants that lived in Croatia, who were at least 18 years old and had consumed one of the aforementioned drugs in the last year. All campaigns applied a cost per click model. Results showed that the Facebook campaign had the highest number of clicks on the advertisement in Croatia (HR: 14,791; SW: 4,292; NL: 707), as well as eligible participants (HR: 3,581; SW: 1,281; NL: 394), while the Netherlands had the lowest cost per participant (EUR 0.25). The Google campaign in Croatia resulted with 5,677 clicks. The average cost per click differed during the campaign (HRK 0.36-2.73), and a higher budget, did not result in a higher number of clicks. It can be concluded that Facebook and Google advertisements resulted in a broad reach with a reasonable budget, therefore these strategies present a useful tool for recruiting large numbers of participants in surveys on the sensitive topic of drug use.

Strengthening the Merci Mon Héros Campaign Through Adaptive Management: Application of Social Listening Methodology.

BackgroundBetween 2014 and 2018, the penetration of smartphones in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 10% to 30%, enabling increased access to the internet, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. These platforms engage users in multidirectional communication and provide public health programs with the tools to inform and engage diverse audiences on a range of public health issues, as well as monitor opinions and behaviors on health topics.ObjectiveThis paper details the process used by the U.S. Agency for International Development–funded Breakthrough RESEARCH to apply social media monitoring and social listening techniques in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, and Togo for the adaptive management of the Merci Mon Héros campaign. We documented how these approaches were applied and how the lessons learned can be used to support future public health communication campaigns.MethodsThe process involved 6 steps: (1) ensure there is a sufficient volume of topic-specific web-based conversation in the target countries; (2) develop measures to monitor the campaign’s social media strategy; (3) identify search terms to assess campaign and related conversations; (4) quantitatively assess campaign audience demographics, campaign reach, and engagement through social media monitoring; (5) qualitatively assess audience attitudes, opinions, and behaviors and understand conversation context through social media listening; and (6) adapt campaign content and approach based on the analysis of social media data.ResultsWe analyzed posts across social media platforms from November 2019 to October 2020 based on identified key search terms related to family planning, reproductive health, menstruation, sexual activity, and gender. Based on the quantitative and qualitative assessments in steps 4 and 5, there were several adaptive shifts in the campaign’s content and approach, of which the following 3 shifts are highlighted. (1) Social media monitoring identified that the Facebook campaign fans were primarily male, which prompted the campaign to target calls to action to the male audience already following the campaign and shift marketing approaches to increase the proportion of female followers. (2) Shorter videos had a higher chance of being viewed in their entirety. In response to this, the campaign shortened video lengths and created screenshot teasers to promote videos. (3) The most negative sentiment related to the campaign videos was associated with beliefs against premarital sex. In response to this finding, the campaign included videos and Facebook Live sessions with religious leaders who promoted talking openly with young people to support intergenerational discussion about reproductive health.ConclusionsPrior to launching health campaigns, programs should test the most relevant social media platforms and their limitations. Inherent biases to internet and social media access are important challenges, and ethical considerations around data privacy must continue to guide the advances in this technology’s use for research. However, social listening and social media monitoring can be powerful monitoring and evaluation tools that can be used to aid the adaptive management of health campaigns that engage populations who have a digital presence.

Comparison of Web-Based Advertising and a Social Media Platform as Recruitment Tools for Underserved and Hard-to-Reach Populations in Rheumatology Clinical Research.

ObjectiveTraditional nondigital methods of participant recruitment for clinical research studies in rheumatology can be costly and inefficient, particularly for recruitment of underserved populations. We aimed to address this need by evaluating two methods of online recruitment to an observational cohort of individuals at risk for rheumatoid arthritis, namely web and Facebook advertisements.MethodsA 3‐month countywide web‐based recruitment campaign was conducted consisting of text and image‐based advertisements. Similar advertisements were subsequently displayed on Facebook, initially in English for 5 months and later in Spanish for an additional 3 months. Individuals who clicked on advertisements were directed to a website landing page containing study information and could contact study personnel to schedule testing for anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide‐3 (CCP3). The primary outcome measure for each campaign was the click‐through rate.ResultsDuring the web campaign, 413,289 advertisement impressions were displayed, resulting in 428 clicks (click‐through rate 0.10%) and only one screened participant. During the English Facebook campaign, 724,815 advertisements were displayed with 6765 clicks (click‐through rate 0.93%) and 43 screened participants, significantly greater than the web campaign (P < 0.001). During the Spanish advertisement campaign, 255,730 Spanish advertisements were displayed, resulting in a click‐through rate of 2.09% and 24 screened participants, a significantly higher rate than English advertisements. Of participants recruited through social media, 94% were female and 29.8% were Spanish speakers.ConclusionFacebook advertisements were superior to web advertisements for participant recruitment. Spanish Facebook advertisements had a greater click‐through rate than English Facebook advertisements. Facebook was an effective recruitment method, particularly for Spanish speakers.

The Evaluation of a Social Media Campaign to Increase COVID-19 Testing in Migrant Groups: Cluster Randomized Trial.

BackgroundA low test positivity rate is key to keeping the COVID-19 pandemic under control. Throughout the pandemic, several migrant groups in Norway have seen higher rates of confirmed COVID-19 and related hospitalizations, while test positivity has remained high in the same groups. The Norwegian government has used several platforms for communication, and targeted social media advertisements have in particular been an important part of the communication strategy to reach these groups.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to investigate whether such a targeted Facebook campaign increased the rate of COVID-19 tests performed in certain migrant groups.MethodsWe randomly assigned 386 Norwegian municipalities and city districts to intervention or control groups. Individuals born in Eritrea, Iraq, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Somalia, Syria, and Turkey residing in intervention areas were targeted with a social media campaign aiming at increasing the COVID-19 test rate. The campaign message was in a simple language and conveyed in the users’ main language or in English.ResultsDuring the 2-week follow-up period, the predicted probability of having a COVID-19 test taken was 4.82% (95% CI 4.47%-5.18%) in the control group, and 5.58% (95% CI 5.20%-5.99%) in the intervention group (P=.004).ConclusionsOur targeted social media intervention led to a modest increase in test rates among certain migrant groups in Norway.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04866589; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04866589

Representing agency and action in the #storiesfromvaccination governmental campaign in Romania. A multimodal approach

Vaccination continues to be one of the most debated topics worldwide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and in countries like Romania, where the COVID-19 vaccination rate is very low. Studies showed that in public pro-vaccination campaigns, despite the tendencies towards using evidence-based content strategies focusing on factual information delivered by experts, emotional content through personal stories also triggers a positive engagement in fostering vaccine confidence. In April 2021, the Romanian Government launched a new Facebook campaign entitled #storiesfromvaccination/ #povestidelavaccinare. Drawing from two concepts (point of view and multimodality) relevant to narrative online health messages, the study has a threefold aim: (1) to investigate the online engagement of the narrative perspectives in the #storiesfromvaccination campaign; (2) to provide a comparative analysis of the multimodal cohesion in the Facebook #storiesfromvaccination multimodal texts posted by various message sources; (3) to identify the various representations of agency and action in the interplay of the three metafunctions (experiential, interpersonal and textual) in the personal stories from vaccination.

Mobilizing or Chasing Voters on Facebook? Analysing Echo-Chamber Effects at the UK Parliamentary General Election 2019

Abstract Alongside the growth of online campaigning has been an increased anxiety around its effects on democratic institutions and processes. Many have suggested that in a (new) media environment that privileges choice, citizens will increasingly segment themselves into echo chambers, tuning out dissenting voices. But the debate on the existence of echo chambers is mixed, and the extent to which political parties campaign to easily persuadable (and pre-disposed) electorates is unclear. In this article, we present a case study of the Facebook campaign activity of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats at the UK’s parliamentary general election in 2019. Utilising an analysis of the Facebook Ad Archive’s Graph Application Programming Interface (API), we find that political parties do not consistently campaign to their easily persuadable electorates—often chasing votes as much as they mobilise supporters. The evidence that parties campaign to specific echo chambers online is therefore, at best, mixed.

Engaging smokers in research: Utility of Facebook in facilitating recruitment to a smoking cessation study

IntroductionSocial media, including Facebook outreach, is increasingly being used as a participant recruitment tool, and may be particularly useful in tobacco and smoking cessation studies. The Recruitment Innovation Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center partnered with Project LUNA, a smoking cessation study, to conduct a pilot social media campaign aimed at increasing study recruitment. MethodsTwo posts encouraging study participation were developed and promoted on Facebook to users with an interest in smoking-related topics, with a link to a study-specific webpage. Facebook and website analytics were collected, including impressions, clicks, click-through rates, website traffic, and clicks to the study screening form. Study screening and enrollment data were also collected. ResultsThe Facebook campaign ran in June 2019 in the greater Houston area. In total, the Facebook posts logged 1,179,844 impressions, 6490 clicks, and an overall click-through rate of 0.55%. There were no differences in response to the two different promotional posts. Approximately 3812 unique individuals visited an intermediary study page, with 473 expressing interest in the study. Forty-three potential participants contacted the study team, resulting in study enrollment and randomization of 23 participants, with an estimated cost per enrolled participant of $441. ConclusionsThe social media campaign was successful at increasing outreach and interest in the LUNA study. However, the price-per-participant enrolled was higher than in comparable tobacco cessation studies. These results and lessons learned may be beneficial to others considering social media as a recruitment method for their clinical research trial.

Much Ado About Facebook? Evidence from 80 Congressional Campaigns in Chile

ABSTRACT How do political candidates combine social media campaign tools with on-the-ground political campaigns to pursue segmented electoral strategies? We argue that online campaigns can reproduce and reinforce segmented electoral appeals. Furthermore, our study suggests that electoral segmentation remains a broader phenomenon that includes social media as but one of many instruments by which to appeal to voters. To test our argument, we analyze the case of the 2017 legislative elections in Chile. We combine an analysis of Facebook and online electoral campaign data from 80 congressional campaigns that competed in three districts with ethnographic sources (i.e., campaigns observed on the ground and in-depth interviews with candidates). The results of this novel study suggest that intensive online campaigning mirrors offline segmentation.

Social Media Networks as a Business Environment, During COVID-19 Crisis

Companies are now integrating social media marketing into their strategies and policies, for a better business performance. Social media campaigns are cost-effective and flexible in operations, offering many benefits. Between 15 - 30 August 2020 we created and managed a Facebook campaign for a local fashion brand. The online marketing becomes even more valuable in COVID-19 crisis, people shop and spend online more than ever. The marketing campaign generated important data to understand the customers demographic, interests, actions and helps us to make profiles of the potential clients. In this context we analyzed the conversion rate indicator, to understand if the marketing campaign was efficient or not. Conversion rate may not be the best to measure the success, but it is a great tool for tracking performance. We propose also the ROAS indicator, to measure the success of this marketing campaign

Deconstruction of a Facebook campaign model on the example of three brands

The authors of this paper present the results of desk research and content analysis of Facebook campaigns run by commercial brands. Every brand aims to increase fan activity on its Facebook page, consisting of likes, comments and shares. The authors focuse primarily on analysing the form and the content of Facebook posts and their impact on user activity. Based on their study of Facebook profiles and communication on the example of three commercial brands (a beer, a bank and women’s stockings), the authors built a matrix they believe is applicable to most commercial brands and can be used as the framework for the analysis of any Facebook campaign, with minor additions and adaptations.

Like, Comment and Share: A Study on the Impact of the Facebook Campaign of the Kerala Police During the COVID 19 Lockdown

The outbreak of COVID 19 as a global pandemic has created challenges in every sector. From adapting to new habits and lifestyles, individuals, organisations, and the government have had to take measures to cope with the unprecedented situation. The strategies adopted by Kerala, a southern state in India, received international coverage and appreciation for their preventive measures against COVID 19. Along with the medical practitioners, the Kerala Government involved law enforcers in the COVID prevention mission. The Kerala Police Department was in the front line to sensitise and educate the community about lockdown measures and safety protocols and played a pivotal role to curb the spread of the disease. The state police department used widespread campaigns to reach out to netizens about the preventive measures adopted by the government. This paper discusses how the Kerala State Police Department used its social media platform, specifically their Facebook page, to assist the COVID prevention campaign of the government. The study used quantitative content analysis of the official Facebook page of the Kerala State Police Department to gain knowledge about their communication strategy. An audience survey was conducted to measure the impact of social media communication and the perception of the police department. Thus, the paper tries to find if an active social media campaign is a powerful tool in changing the perception of the audience during a crisis.

The impact of a Facebook campaign among mothers on HPV vaccine uptake among their daughters: A randomized field study

ObjectiveThe popularity of social networks provide an incredible opportunity to enhance the impact of preventive medicine programs. We aimed to assess whether a targeted Facebook campaign among mothers may increase the uptake of human Papilloma virus (HPV) immunization among their 8th-grade daughters. MethodsThis field study was conducted among the members of a state-mandated health organization in Israel. Included were all 21,592 members who were mothers to 14 year-old daughters in the 2018-19 school-year. A total of 17,271 (80%) were randomly allocated to the campaign arm and the rest (n=4,321) were selected as a reference group. The Facebook ads addressed issues and concerns regarding HPV-related diseases and HPV vaccine. Main outcome measures were Facebook metrics on exposure to campaign and HPV immunization among eighth grade daughters of the study participants. ResultsBetween 8/2018-10/2018, Facebook ads were shown 1.8-million times (a reach of 88%). The uptake of HPV vaccine among daughters of women allocated to the campaign arm (55.3%) was similar (p = 0.749) to 55.0% in the control group. The only significant differences between study groups were observed when stratifying by SES level. In the lowest SES quartile, Facebook campaign significantly (p = .02) reduced vaccine uptake (35% vs. 39.0%), with a relative risk of 0.90 (95%CI: 0.82-0.98), while in the second SES quartile, Facebook campaign increased vaccine uptake from 52.6% to 55.8%, with a RR of 1.06 (95%CI,1.00-1.12). Among mothers in higher SES levels, daughters of exposed and unexposed mothers had similar immunization rates. ConclusionsFacebook campaign may increase the uptake of HPV vaccine among daughters to mothers of medium-to-low SES level, but it may reduce vaccination among lower SES groups.

Facebook affordances and citizen engagement during elections: European political parties and their benefit from online strategies?

ABSTRACT This paper examines how Facebook is used by political parties during elections to extend or accelerate their reach within the electorate and how successful these efforts are. Specifically, we compare the content and style of parties’ Facebook posts during the 2014 European parliament elections, and how this affects followers’ responses in terms of liking, sharing and commenting on the posts. Our findings reveal while that the timing and visual content of posts are important in increasing voters’ attention, interactivity matters most. Responsive party posts on Facebooks are significantly more likely to be shared, liked, and commented on by users. Given that follower reactions, particularly sharing, helps to increase the visibility of party communication through indirect or two-step flow communication (online and offline), these findings are important in advancing our understanding of how and why social media campaigns are able to influence voters and thus affect election outcomes. For parties themselves the results provide some useful insights into what makes for an ‘effective’ Facebook campaign in terms of how they can accelerate the reach of their communication.