The Effectiveness of Political Communication in Social Media: a Case Study of Political Communication in Kenyan Social Media

Abstract

Political communications, specifically political campaigns, have one ultimate goal. To convince the voter to cast his ballot for one candidate. Numerous studies have been done to explain voter behaviour, the earliest being the Peoples Choice Study carried out by Lazersfeld et al. This study looks at how political campaigns can use the new platform that is inexpensive and available to many, and with the ability to influence many a voter. The platform is social metlia. The study further examines how political communication can use the Facebook and/or Twitter in the most effective manner so as to integrate these new media messages as an essential campaign tool. The study begins with an introduction of what social media and political communication are. Then an attempt is make to link the two together, outlining the possible relationships the two have, and how and why social media is a possible platform for political communication. Literature, both theoretical and empirical, is then reviewed on the use of social media in political communication. Here, a case study of the Barrack Obama campaign is reviewed, where in his first term he used social media for campaigns and fund raising. The project utilizes the survey method to collect data, with questionnaires as the data collecting tool. Both qualitative and quantitative data is collected, but this study remains a qualitative study because it is predominantly a study of human behavior. The data is then compiled and analyzed, then presented in tables for the purpose of interpretation. Conclusions are then drawn on how Kenyans are using social media for political communications, and recommendations on how to further use the said technology effectively and efficiently. People received positively the communication from politicians with personable content as compared to the politicians who posted professional content. This is in relation to the political content posted on Twitter. Ultimately, a politician with a social media site had a significant relationship with the electorate in comparison to those without this presence.