When Politicians Become Influencers

The first time I realized the effectiveness of a strong political campaign was when I came across an Instagram Reel from Zohran Mamdani while he was running for mayor of New York City.

Admittedly, I had only been to New York once. I barely knew the city’s boroughs, let alone its political landscape. Yet, when I saw the big orange letters, dark blue background, friendly grin, and welcoming delivery of Mamdani’s post, I immediately felt connected to him as a candidate.

This is one example of an effective political campaign tailored to the right audience. Throughout history, memorable campaign strategies have helped candidates define themselves and reach voters.

Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 campaign used emotional advertising, most famously the “Daisy” ad, before Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in a landslide. Ronald Reagan’s 1984 campaign relied on optimism and straightforward storytelling, including the “Morning in America” commercial, before Reagan won 49 of 50 states. Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign mobilized young and first-time voters while using the internet for organizing, communication, and fundraising. Pew Research Center found that 66% of voters under 30 supported Obama.

These advertisements and strategies were not the sole reasons the candidates won. However, they deserve to be studied for how effectively they communicated each candidate’s message.

From Commercials to Content

As society has moved from long-form commercials toward short-form media, political candidates have adapted their campaign strategies to the modern attention span.

With audiences spending more time online, politicians have shifted an increasing amount of their communication to digital platforms. But this is not simply political advertising moving online. The form of politics itself is changing.

Candidates now adopt conventions commonly associated with influencers. They use direct-to-camera videos, casual language, humor, trending sounds, behind-the-scenes footage, livestreams, personal anecdotes, and lifestyle content.

According to the Pew Research Center, 21% of American adults regularly received news from social media news influencers in 2024. Among adults under 30, that figure reached 37%.

As more people receive news through social media, politicians are learning to communicate like the people who already dominate those platforms: influencers.

Why Influencer Politics Works

How did Mamdani’s campaign make someone unfamiliar with New York politics like me feel immediately connected to a candidate?

Influencer-style politics works for several reasons. First, it is extremely accessible. As someone who spends much of her free time scrolling through entertainment platforms, it is much easier for me to encounter a 45-second video than a policy paper or hour-long debate.

Posting on a platform with millions or even billions of users creates opportunities for greater exposure than a traditional press release. A short, entertaining Reel is also more likely to hold someone’s attention long enough for that person to learn something about a campaign.

Short-form media also highlights personality. Instead of presenting only their policies, politicians show their humor, clothing, food, families, routines, and personal interests. This can make a political figure feel more familiar and approachable.

Casual filming can make political communication appear spontaneous, even when it has been professionally planned. On camera, politicians may seem more authentic and intimate than they do behind a podium.

Once someone watches, likes, or subscribes to this content, an algorithm may continue recommending similar videos. Repeated exposure can create familiarity between audiences and public figures, contributing to a one-sided or parasocial connection. Research suggests that parasocial relationships can affect how audiences respond to political messages shared through influencers.

The influence of social media can be more powerful than we realize.

A Doorway Into Politics

Influencer-style politics is not automatically synonymous with misinformation or manipulation.

Among Americans who regularly received news from influencers, 65% told Pew Research Center that this content helped them better understand current events and civic issues.

Perhaps politicians becoming influencers is not inherently bad. A candidate explaining housing policy through TikTok may reach someone who would never watch a televised debate. Short-form content can introduce politically disengaged viewers to candidates and make complicated issues easier to understand.

However, there is an important distinction between political introduction and political evaluation.

Likability Is Not Competence

When I reflected on my reaction to Mamdani’s campaign, I realized that I had not learned about him comprehensively at all.

From the video, I remembered the orange typography. I remembered his grin. I remembered how approachable he seemed. However, I could not have explained the mechanics of his housing policy.

If I had been a New York City voter, his videos might have given me a reason to learn more about his candidacy. They should not, by themselves, have been the reason I cast my vote.

A candidate’s likability does not prove competence. Appearing authentic on camera does not necessarily establish honesty, experience, or an ability to govern.

Social media is designed to build familiarity quickly. Governing requires much more than familiarity.

When the Algorithm Shapes Politics

The adaptation of political campaigns to social media may also influence how politics itself is practiced.

Algorithms tend to reward engagement, shareability, and emotional reactions. That can change which issues politicians choose to discuss and how they present those issues.

A joke can take 10 seconds to tell and receive millions of views. A detailed explanation of housing, health care, taxation, or education policy may require far more time and attention. This creates an incentive to prioritize content that performs well over information that helps voters understand complicated issues.

The danger is not simply that politicians may become influencers. It is that political communication may become governed by influencer logic, where visibility, personality, and engagement matter more than depth.

An Introduction, Not a Qualification

This does not mean influencer-style politics should disappear. There are clear benefits to this contemporary approach to campaigning. It can reach politically disengaged people, especially younger audiences, make complicated policies more understandable, and make government feel less remote.

In a free political system, candidates must be able to use popular forms of communication. The problem begins when voters confuse social media effectiveness with evidence of governing ability.

Social media can introduce someone to a candidate. A Reel can make someone curious. A livestream can make a politician feel approachable. But none of these necessarily provides enough information to determine whether that person can govern effectively.

At the end of the day, voters should remember that media influence is not the same as governing ability. Campaigning and governing are different jobs, and recognizing that difference can help us make more informed political decisions.