The rise of social media has revolutionized how information is shared and accessed. Social media and the internet bridge vast distances, and allow people to communicate across the globe with one press of a button. Former vice president and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris has taken a unique approach to campaigning, and is leveraging social media’s extensive reach.
Recently, Harris has established a strong presence on popular social media platforms, most notably TikTok, using them to spread campaign information. Her approach has paid off. As of September, her personal TikTok account (@kamalaharris) boasts 5M followers. Her campaign account (@kamalahq) has 4M followers.
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, TikTok’s main user base in the U.S. are young adults aged 18-34, with a reported 56% of US adults in this age group using the platform. Harris’s campaign strategy targets this demographic, focusing on reaching young voters where they are most active– on TikTok.
This approach to campaigning is relevant and unique. Traditional political campaigns are usually catered toward the older generations of voters. Harris’s use of TikTok engages the younger generation of voters in an authentic way.
Harris’s social media presence is engaging young voters, and making them more excited to partake in the 2024 election. Her content references topics– such as climate change, women’s rights, and social justice – in a friendly, humorous format that resonate with Gen Z and young adults. Her personal TikTok page features campaign information and is more serious, but her Kamala HQ account posts numerous trends. She has participated in recent trends such as “Aura” and “Brat”. In both the description of every video she posts and in her bio, a link to her campaigning website is present, allowing curious individuals to gather more formal information about the 2024 election and her campaign.
It is vital for political figures to meet young voters where they are. By putting effort into this, Harris acknowledges the importance of the internet but also shows she values the concerns and voices of younger voters. The way she participates in humorous trends makes politics feel more approachable and less intimidating. It is apparent why her strategy is appealing to young voters; she makes young adults feel heard in a political setting that often silences them.
Harris is leveraging social media, where she has millions of followers, to spread the message of her campaign. Her use of the social media app TikTok targets younger demographics of American voters. By using TikTok trends and memes, Harris is adapting her campaign strategy to appeal to young voters, and make them feel heard in a political space. Political figures have to try harder to reach young voters– Harris is doing it right.
