Clare O'Donoghue Velikić
The dust has now settled in the count centers as election results have come through. At home in Ireland, we sigh with relief that the far right wave was more of a ripple. But here and throughout Europe, it's clear this was not a good election for progressives. As we lick our wounds, we need to learn some lessons and get back on our feet fast.
I’m a social media strategist, so I look at campaigns through that lens. But I’m also a progressive, hungry for positive societal change. And I’m a voter, frustrated by politics moving in the opposite direction. So, from these angles, I offer three suggestions to progressive campaigners, all stemming from one core failure I perceive in this election: fear.
• Stop being afraid of the electorate.
Top-down presidential-style campaigns only work when your president or party brand is strong. The far-right positions themselves as and with the people as anti-elite. We shouldn’t gift them this space. Social spaces allow us to amplify the voice of the voter, initiate conversations, and engage in dialogues. We need to listen. The electorate will often tell us what they need to hear from us. Even anti-establishment voices need to keep their boots in their constituencies; ‘Ireland’s biggest TikTok MEP’ Clare Daly, lost her seat due to a perceived disconnect with her electorate. Views don’t equal votes.
• Stop being afraid of the tough questions.
If we believe in our policy positions, we should be able to defend them clearly and firmly. The age of the soundbite is exacerbated by the goldfish attention spans of social media users. But dodging the details makes us seem detached and dishonest. It is a challenge to us as comms professionals to distill complex responses into quick and digestible morsels - but we have to keep doing it every day.
• Stop being afraid of social platforms.
We need to leverage every tool on every social channel to amplify our voices. That means not just being present on TikTok, Facebook or Instagram, but doing them well. Clear out the trolls from under our bridges, and create welcoming spaces for civic engagement. Game the algorithms using every trick in the influencers’ spellbooks, as the far-right National Rally’s Jordan Bardella has done in France, using silly and playful thirst trap TikToks before pivoting his content into serious political messaging and GOTV.
Use social networking from the grassroots up, not the top down or center outwards, to build meaningful connections - treating social like organizing or canvassing, not only broadcast. The AfD in Germany’s ‘TikTok guerilla’ social amplification program not only boosts their algorithm but also builds community and organizes through lightweight participation - a dangerously powerful formula.
This is hard stuff. It takes time, staffing, money, ingenuity, creativity and resilience. But the far right are doing it. If they can do it, why can’t we?
At the ECDA we’re passionate about uplifting progressive organizations and parties to make a difference. To find out how we can help you, email us at info@centerfordigitalaction.eu.
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