Social media hasn’t just changed how campaigns communicate — it’s revolutionized political discourse itself, upending decades of one-way messaging with something entirely new. In this video, political consultant Jay Townsend breaks down what social media actually is, how it works on a psychological level, the tools driving today’s political conversation, and how you can use that power responsibly.
Social media has revolutionized politics. It has completely upended our discourse, and it’s worth understanding why. There’s the what, the how, the means, and how you use it to advance a cause or start a movement.
Social media is a way to convey information — it’s entertainment. What makes it different from any other technology ever used in political discourse is that it’s changed the way information flows. It used to be that politics was influenced by newspapers, or what somebody said on the radio, in a TV commercial, or online. Social media introduced two-way communication into the political marketplace. Now anybody can go on social media and share an opinion, and other people can see it and respond to it. Anybody can leave a comment on a YouTube video and be part of the discourse. That makes it much easier for people to find like-minded people than ever before in politics, and that’s one of the reasons it’s revolutionized politics, not just in the United States but in democracies around the world.
How is this information used on social media? To cajole, convince, disgust, or make people feel repulsed. It’s used to trigger one of the seven human emotions: fear, anger, sadness, disgust, contempt, surprise, and happiness, which is another word for hope. Part of the secret of an effective social media post is triggering one of those seven emotions — do that, and you’ll trigger a reaction from the person who sees it, and they’re more likely to react and do something as a result of what you say. The masters of the craft of social media are experts in triggering human emotions. That’s what makes it work, what makes it spread, what attracts people to certain candidates, and what drives them away from others.
The means — the memes — are words, video with words, words set to music, and words and pictures combined, which we call memes. All of these are now legitimate ways to post on social media. Words, in fact, are the most powerful drug humankind has ever known, but words combined with pictures and images, or incorporated into music or video, make them extraordinarily powerful, because you’re not only triggering emotions but also triggering things in the mind of the viewer through the words and where you take them with your use of language. New technology may expand these tools further, but those are the common means used to trigger human emotion on social media today.
Let’s talk about the modern-day tools — what I call the Big Six: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, now called X. Those are the big ones used to influence American political discourse today. Here’s the truth: some of these weren’t even around five or ten years ago, and none of them were in the shape they’re in today. Going forward, one of these may fade in influence and a new one will emerge, and there’s no law against watching what’s working for other people and doing the same if it’s good software for disseminating a message or influencing how voters vote.
Each platform has its own unique audience, and that matters in a political campaign. TikTok tends to be used by younger voters. Facebook is now for older voters. Instagram reaches a broad cross-section of people. Only certain kinds of people pay attention to Twitter or X. So in politics you have to meet people where they are. If you’re only talking to young people, TikTok is your gravy, but if you’re running a campaign that needs to reach different segments of the electorate, you can’t do just one platform — you have to do all of them. Right now those are the Big Six, but you have to keep watching emerging technology, because there will someday be a new kid on the block.
You have enormous power at the tips of your fingers. Social media has been used to start revolutions. It has been used to bring peace to a region. It’s used to affect the way countries operate, the way democracies function, and the way people vote — triggering emotions that lead them to behave in ways they wouldn’t have before social media existed. It can be used for good, and it can be used for evil.
If you look back over the course of history, those who used new technologies in politics in past years — whether newspapers, television, or radio — and whom we tend to remember fondly, were the ones who elevated the conversation, who talked about hope instead of hate, who talked about how we could elevate the standard of living, live in a cleaner environment, drink cleaner water, improve health care, and make everyone’s short time on earth a more enjoyable experience. Those are the ones we remember fondly in our history books. I’d leave you with that thought as you decide how you’re going to use your expertise on social media.
Q: Why has social media had such a big impact on politics?
A: Because it introduced two-way communication into the political marketplace for the first time. Where newspapers, radio, and TV commercials delivered a message one way, social media lets anyone post an opinion, comment on a video, and find like-minded people, which has revolutionized political discourse not just in the US but in democracies worldwide.
Q: What makes a social media post effective at influencing people politically?
A: Effective posts trigger one of the seven human emotions — fear, anger, sadness, disgust, contempt, surprise, or happiness (hope). Masters of social media are experts at triggering these emotions, and that’s what makes a post spread, attracts people to certain candidates, and drives people away from others.
Q: What are the most powerful “means” for delivering a political message on social media?
A: Words are the most powerful drug humankind has ever known, and combining words with pictures (memes), music, or video makes them extraordinarily powerful, because you’re triggering emotions and shaping where the viewer’s mind goes at the same time.
Q: Which social media platforms matter most for political campaigns right now?
A: The “Big Six” are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X. Each has its own audience — TikTok skews younger, Facebook now skews older, Instagram reaches a broad cross-section, and only certain people pay attention to Twitter/X — so a real campaign has to use all of them rather than picking just one.
Q: How should I think about using social media responsibly in politics?
A: Social media can be used for good or for evil — it’s been used to start revolutions and to bring peace to regions. Looking back at history, the political figures we remember fondly are the ones who used new technology, whatever it was, to elevate the conversation and talk about hope instead of hate.
Jay Townsend has spent more than 40 years advising candidates on how to use new technology to communicate with voters, including how social media fits into a modern campaign. Browse the full resource library at JayTownsend.com or subscribe to Jay’s YouTube channel for new campaign strategy videos every week.
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