Recent findings indicate that Republican candidates are significantly outperforming their Democratic rivals in social media engagement, garnering up to seven times more shares on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
A study by the Online Impact Group analyzed 15,756 posts from 1,313 U.S. House candidates between October 1 and October 14, 2024. The results reveal a clear contrast in social media engagement metrics, which could impact voter sentiment ahead of the 2024 elections.
On Facebook, Republican candidates received more than four times the number of likes per post compared to Democrats, averaging 104 likes to 25 likes. Shares were even more lopsided, with Republicans averaging 35 shares versus just 5 for Democrats.
Instagram showed similar trends, where Republican posts racked up nearly five times more likes—310 likes on average compared to Democrats’ 65 likes.
In total, the volume of engagement reflects a striking difference, suggesting that Democratic messaging is being engaged with at less than 25% of the Republican posts. This disparity may influence social media algorithms, which tend to prioritize high-engagement content, further amplifying Republican messages.
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According to the study, shares are crucial for social media visibility as algorithms favor posts that are frequently shared, allowing Republican candidates’ messages to reach a wider audience, including potential new followers.
Chafe noted, “Our findings suggest that Democratic candidates may struggle with creating engaging content that resonates with their audience, impacting their reach.” This gap could lead to tangible effects on voter turnout and engagement.
Additionally, a recent Pew Research Center study found that Republicans are nearly as likely to trust social media information as they are to trust national news outlets. In a survey from September, 37% of Republicans reported trusting social media “a lot” or “somewhat,” almost on par with the 40% who trust national news sources. Conversely, while 38% of Democrats express at least some trust in social media, a substantial 78% still trust national news organizations more.