If your social media algorithm knows that you’re in Albuquerque, then you might have seen local accounts covering the mayoral election. From one account highlighting their time canvassing with mayoral candidate Alex Uballez, to another interviewing every mayoral candidate, local influencers and politics are starting to collide.
These accounts, plus others who have actually collaborated with candidates, have hundreds of thousands of followers across multiple platforms. These past several weeks, candidates have teamed up with them and other influencers to get onto people’s social media timelines.
“There's an increasing recognition by political elites that influencers play an important role in sharing information,” said Jessica Feezell, an associate professor of political science at the University of New Mexico. “Especially to audiences that might not pay attention to traditional mainstream news.”
Feezell studies American politics and political communication, specifically about social media. Feezell said she’s noticed how politics has become negative and polarized, which has turned people away from direct political news and messaging. However, there are still ways for people who have been turned off to politics to stay in the fold.
“Those audiences do probably pay attention to some political information,” Feezell said. “They're seeking information that is maybe not political on the front, but has political content sort of underneath. And that's what we would call incidental exposure.”
This incidental exposure is how mayoral candidates are trying to reach new audiences in Albuquerque. That’s why you may have seen videos of candidates eating at local restaurants with no mention of politics. This content may seem aimless, but it's more calculated than people may realize.
“Through these platforms that collect an immense amount of data about their users, candidates can micro-target audiences in ways that are quite unprecedented,” Feezell said. “Their ability to really find certain populations that they believe will move the needle in an election, it's never been easier.”
Feezell said the role of influencers in the 2024 presidential election was significant. According to the Pew Research Center, just over half of Americans at least sometimes get their news through social media. So it’s likely this trend will only continue to grow.
