‘Kamala HQ’: The importance of social media in the current US presidential elections

On November 5th, millions of Americans will choose the next President of the United States. However, there are still many people who don’t engage in politics and don’t vote, especially youngsters, so this is where social media becomes a key ingredient for the candidates to attract possible supporters.

Something that has been in the spotlight for a few months now is how Kamala Harris has been handling this aspect of her campaign. With a great team behind every funny and provocative post, Kamala HQ has been attracting millions of followers all over TikTok, Instagram and X. But how exactly did her page blow up?

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMh6YoHD6/

providing context

It all started on July 21st 2024. Right after Joe Biden gave up on running against Donald Trump in this election, Charli XCX, a pop singer who has been all over TikTok with her songs, tweeted: “Kamala is brat”.

In just a few hours, Kamala HQ noted this post and soon changed their profile photo to a neon green background with “Kamala hq” written in all lowercase black letters. And the strategy worked! Soon, many young people went to their own social media to talk about Kamala bringing a Charli XCX reference into her official campaign. News vehicles were quick to learn and inform what being a “brat” really means, and the weight this could have to a Harris’ campaign. According to the singer, the term means someone who “is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes”.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMh2rG8ty/

Just by this small change in her profile picture, Kamala got the attention of thousands of young adults, who soon started following and engaging with Kamala HQ. 

As soon as Kamala officially entered the presidential race, a video from her in a 2023 speech went viral online. In it, she mentions a personal anecdote: “My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” Harris said, while laughing. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” It wasn’t long until her supporters, old and new, adopted a symbol to represent their support, the coconut, and coconut tree emojis.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMh2rgPQY/

Democratic National Convention (of influencers?)

Kamala’s strategy did not stop at just memes and Gen Z references, she actually took things to a new level by inviting young influencers to the Democratic National Convention, which almost automatically brings their millions of followers to the event with them through social media.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMh2rb7Dk/

Not only did the democrats distribute over 200 press credentials to influencers, but they also provided logistical assistance and “front-row access” to the convention via a Creator Platform built directly on the convention floor. 

Kalen Allen, one of the internet personalities invited, told CBS News: “Personally I think that the strategy is absolutely brilliant. I think what is great about this is that we are meeting young voters where they are.”

In addition to the efforts Kamala’s team has been doing with Kamala HQ, this comes as the cherry on top for their communications plan. According to a 2020 poll by Tufts, 70% of young people who voted in the last election got their information from social media, so it’s needless to say that if Kamala wants to bring young voters to her side, she is definitely on the right track.

The other side of the algorithm

However, the Democrats are not the only ones who are trying to reach out to a younger audience. Republicans are also doing everything they can to attract potential voters.

Following on the same path as Kamala, Trump is also very present on social media. His @teamtrump TikTok account has over a million followers, and also tries to connect with gen Z by using easier language and memes. Just like the Democrats, this year’s Republican National Convention invited around 70 influencers to the event. 

Only the young

Kamala’s social media campaign has been following a great strategy to attract young voters, but it does not stop there. Her proximity with celebrities has also been used in her favor, especially when she got Beyoncé’s authorization to use the song Freedom in her first official presidential video and after Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and many other celebrities endorsed her to become next in charge.

The vice president’s team definitely knew how to take advantage of these supporters. After Taylor Swift said she would be voting for the democrat, Kamala’s official website soon started selling “Harris-Walz Friendship Bracelets”, in a direct reference to the singer’s Eras Tour tradition and song. In addition, after Billie Eilish’s endorsement, her team went to TikTok, and posted what could be confused for a fan edit, with videos of Kamala and the song Chihiro, by Billie, on the Background.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMh2rUtXk/

Needless to say, both candidates realize the importance of social media on the political scene, especially when we are talking about bringing potential voters to the ballots. And after analyzing for a little while, we can say Kamala’s team knows what they are doing!

——————–

The article above was edited by Isadora Mangueira

Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Cásper Líbero home page for more!

• elections
• politics
• social media