Millions of Indian voters come together to influence the destiny of their country during the spectacular spectacle that is the Lok Sabha Elections. As the 2024 elections draw near, one thing stands out more than any other: the critical role of Digital Marketing in Indian Lok Sabha Elections.
With more than 600 million people in the country using the internet and a constantly growing digital landscape, political campaigns are no longer limited to conventional techniques like print media, door-to-door canvassing, and rallies. Rather, they have evolved into sophisticated operations that leverage online advertising, data analytics, and social networking.
This shift has affected how people participate in politics and how politicians interact with their constituencies. In this post, we will examine the complex role that Digital Marketing in Indian Lok Sabha Elections will play in 2024. We’ll explore how politicians and political parties are using digital tools to reach out to voters, sway public opinion, and ultimately influence the election outcomes. Digital marketing is changing the electoral landscape in India like never before, from data-driven voter outreach to influencer strategy and targeted social media campaigns.
Come explore the tactics, resources, and trends that will shape the digital arena of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and discover how this digital revolution is propelling one of the biggest democratic processes in history.
Digital marketing and Its Growing Influence in Politics
Obama conducted a campaign in the US in 2007 that used social media, email campaigns, and display ads to engage voters and spark discourse before the elections in India in 2014. Message-based internet advertising for political parties has reportedly increased by 575% since 2012, making it a considerably more significant medium than it was in the past, regardless of the candidate you support.
The BJP team led by Narendra Modi employed social media-focused digital marketing for the first time to aid in the election of officials in the 2014 Indian general election. During the 2019 election, political digital marketing agency services saw a sharp increase in usage in India. All of India’s main national, state, and regional parties, as well as individual candidates, employed digital marketing.
Evolution of Digital Marketing in Indian Lok Sabha Elections
Political parties, candidates, and their campaign managers are using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram like never before to court young Indian voters. Reaching out to the upwardly mobile youth in India is a wise move, particularly as the country is still young, with about 72 million Indians between the ages of 18 and 23 and 65% of the population under 35. A sizable portion of young people in India are educated and tech-aware. There are around 350 million Indians on Facebook, 462 million on YouTube, and 363 million on Instagram.
Political parties favor digital media because they are popular and facilitate the acceptance of material. The wave of digitization has revolutionized content creation and is very helpful for election campaigns because of its quick adaptation and user-friendliness, which promote political communication. Microtargeting, interacting with young people, and ease of use are some of the main advantages.
There’s nothing you can do when you see a political advertisement on TV. It gets lost in the chaos as you watch it and then forget about it. But with social media, you do more than just watch it—you also like it and share it with your loved ones, friends, and coworkers to help spread the word.
In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was one of the first political organizations to employ social media-focused digital marketing. This trend has continued into 2019 as more national, state, and local parties, as well as individual candidates, are using these services. Furthermore, a powerful candidate combined with a potent digital marketing firm can greatly increase a campaign’s chances of success, even though there is currently insufficient data to draw a firm conclusion about the relationship between digital campaigns and electoral success.
Digital Marketing Strategies in the 2024 Elections
Social media campaigns
Social media platforms have become effective instruments for political communication, giving politicians and political parties the ability to interact with voters directly, spread their messages, and rally support. Political campaigns have grown utterly dependent on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which give politicians quick access to millions of voters.
Ad experts and political observers claim that as the nation prepares for the largest election in history, social media influencers and messaging apps like WhatsApp have become the preferred means for political parties to sway voters’ perceptions.
With over 500 million active users on WhatsApp each month in India, the BJP is attempting to interact with voters by sending them a personalized “Letter from the Prime Minister” that highlights the accomplishments of the Narendra Modi administration and requests comments.
The website ‘My First Vote for Modi,’ which was introduced by the BJP, enables users to promise to support Modi and upload a video explaining their decision. A number of brief videos showcasing the development activities carried out by the NDA government are also available on the website.
However, the Congress maintains a Rahul Gandhi WhatsApp group where the leader is rumored to engage with users and answer their questions.
Search Engine Marketing
“Ads Transparency,” a project by Facebook and Google to increase transparency around political advertising, was another endeavor that got underway before the 2019 elections. With a 41.4% share of digital political spending on Google and 14.7% on Facebook, the BJP led both platforms.
The amount of expenditure that other political parties disclosed was far less. It is challenging to determine the precise amount spent on political advertising on digital platforms because a large portion of the expenditures are made by organizations with ties to political parties, either directly or indirectly. Additionally, it is outside the purview of what parties have pre-certified as political advertising.
Role of WhatsApp and other messaging apps
With the rising use of social media and the messaging software WhatsApp by India’s political parties in their campaigns, analysts have coined the term “the WhatsApp election” to describe the 2019 parliamentary election.
During the 2019 General Elections, WhatsApp’s usage in “political” election-related conversations in India initially caught media attention. According to reports, political parties and their campaign teams were contacting prospective voters by adding them to WhatsApp “groups” and incessantly sending them messages about the election. Voters were also using WhatsApp as their main source of political news and information.
These reports state that the messages included a combination of standard campaign material and disinformation directed towards the leaders of rival political parties, as well as statements blatantly meant to sow discord among the populace. Reports also revealed the spread of misinformation about certain candidates or phony polls that predicted the success of certain parties in the election.
Role of Data Analytics and AI
The 2024 elections will be a forum for the fusion of cutting-edge technology and conventional campaigning strategies, which will change the character of political debate. Political players are using digital tools to engage voters, create narratives, and even manipulate perceptions as a result of the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the widespread influence of social media platforms, and the widespread reach of the internet.
The 2024 elections are noteworthy for using social media analytics and targeted advertising in a way never seen before. Massive volumes of user data are analyzed by AI-powered algorithms to microtarget particular demographics with customized political messaging. With this tailored strategy, political parties may create messages that appeal to various voter demographics and increase the effectiveness of their campaigns.
As AI-generated disinformation and propaganda proliferate, digital activism has become a powerful tool for political mobilization and public participation. Social media platforms have been utilized by grassroots movements and virtual communities as a means to magnify the voices of the marginalized, promote social change, and ensure that political leaders are held responsible. Social movements have been sparked by websites like Twitter and Instagram, which allow activists to plan demonstrations, plan group activities, and spread awareness of important sociopolitical topics. Digital activists have used social media to mobilize support, undermine established power structures, and bring about significant change in a variety of fields, including environmental activism and gender equality campaigns.
Online platforms have also democratized political engagement by giving regular people a way to interact with elected officials, express their concerns, and take part in policy discussions. Online petitions, social media town halls, and digital feedback systems have made it easier for citizens and legislators to communicate in both directions, increasing accountability and transparency in the political process.
Case Studies: Successful Digital Campaigns
Digital Marketing Campaigns from Previous Elections
One of the most effective political campaigns in Indian history, in our opinion, was the one in 2014. With his 2014 election campaign, the BJP won with a landslide, redefining the concept of electoral rallies by combining event management campaigns, marketing experts, and technology know-how to achieve maximum impact.
The demonstrations were on par with business gatherings. It wouldn’t be incorrect to argue that Modi’s 2014 campaign is among the largest mass mobilization efforts ever witnessed in political campaign history, based on everything from 3D rallies to events to chai pe charcha to interviews to state visits.
Impact on Voter Engagement and Behavior
How digital marketing influences voter engagement
Real-time voter interaction via digital platforms gives political parties the ability to assess public opinion, address issues, and react quickly to new developments. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter function as online arenas for the development, discussion, and propagation of political narratives. Parties may hone their communications tactics and remain ahead of the curve by actively engaging in these discussions and utilizing analytics tools.
Role of digital marketing in shaping public opinion and voter perceptions
The capacity of digital marketing to gather and examine enormous volumes of data is one of its most potent features. Political parties can obtain important insights into voter preferences, behavior patterns, and electoral trends by utilizing data analytics tools and techniques. Parties are able to identify swing voters, create more successful campaign plans, and customize their messaging to appeal to particular communities thanks to this data-driven approach.
Future of Digital Marketing in Indian Elections
Digital ad campaigns will surpass other types of political campaigning in this year’s and any future elections as the polls get closer. Digital platform information is like a two-edged sword. Voters will be inundated with information and overwhelmed by campaign content in the future. This enables political groups to disseminate false information. I believe that the world’s largest disinformation operation is centered in India. People will lose hope when there are no rules and false information spreads because they have no other option and must decide what is pure garbage and what is quality.
ing technology The digital revolution in India is propel improvements that are impacting election campaigns and party structures, and this trend is expected to continue. Despite the BJP’s dominance in the online space, other parties are starting to gain traction by allocating resources to their IT and social media divisions in an effort to boost their online presence. Party leaders should be aware of the drawbacks of conducting campaigns only online, even though they could be successful in doing so. For the 2024 election and likely beyond, online campaigning performs best when paired with conventional retail politics, not as a substitute or adjunct.
As the first round of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections approaches, political parties are vying for attention online in addition to on the streets. All political parties increased the amount they spent on Google digital ads on March 1st of this year. But in January, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the first to introduce Google image and video ads.
Money Spends By Political Parties
According to data provided by the internet behemoth as part of its pledge to promote transparency around political marketing, ₹52 crore was spent on political advertisements on Google between March 1 and April 9, 2024. Furthermore, compared to the ₹8.8 crore spent on political advertisements on Google during the same period in 2019, this amounts to a six-fold increase.
With ₹8.8 crore spent on more than 73,000 advertisements, the BJP is the biggest advertiser during this time. The party spent the most of its money on digital ads during the week of March 25–31.
The next-highest spender on digital advertisements is Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with ₹7.9 crore, via its agency Populous Entertainment Network. The party spent about 80 lakh on April 2 and 3 alone, accounting for over 70% of the total expenses, which were made between April 1 and April 9.
Third place goes to the Indian National Congress (INC), which spent ₹6.8 crore over the time frame. More than half of this was spent between April 5 and April 9 alone, with April 7 recording ₹2 crore in ad spends. According to Google Analytics, the majority of INC ads were directed towards the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar.
Political Advertisements With Their Slogan
During this time, the bulk of the BJP’s advertisements targeted Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha. But in anticipation of PM Modi’s April 9 visit to Chennai, 27% of the BJP’s digital ad spending between April 1 and April 9—more than ₹14 lakhs—was spent in Tamil Nadu. Regarding format, eighty-four percent of the BJP’s advertisements between March 1 and April 9 are video ads in a variety of regional languages, with the message “Phir ek baar Modi Sarkar” (Once again, Modi rule).
In addition to emphasizing the “Dravidian Model,” DMK’s digital advertisements feature visual and video content that highlights the different programs the MK Stalin government has implemented over the last three years. The slogan “Haath Badlega Haalat,” which refers to the hand emblem, is used in the bulk of INC advertisements, and it poses concerns about the reforms that the present government has implemented.
An analysis of data from Google Ads Transparency Centre and the Meta Ad Library Report shows that between March 15 and April 13, the BJP spent Rs 14.7 crore, or Rs 147 million; Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spent Rs 12.1 crore; and the Congress spent Rs 12.3 crore. The BJP, on the other hand, continues to maintain its dominance.
Google received the majority of the entire advertising budget. More than 81 percent of the BJP’s digital ad budget went toward YouTube and Google Adsense promotion. This figure for Congress was 78%.
Video Hits
The figures indicate that YouTube, a video streaming network, is the most popular medium for political advertising. The BJP spent Rs 9.5 crore on YouTube alone, out of their total spending of Rs 14.7 crore. This amount is Rs 7.4 crore for the Congress, Rs 6.8 crore for the DMK, and Rs 2.4 crore for the YSR Congress Party.
According to the Google Ads Transparency Center, the BJP spent over 80% of their total Google budget on video ad promotion. This percentage was roughly 62% for the DMK and 77% for the Congress.
Top themes
The BJP’s internet advertisements focus on a number of important issues, including the push for infrastructure, the main welfare packages of the Modi government, youth development, skill development, the Ram Temple, and the repeal of Article 370.
The main opposition party, Congress, utilized their advertisements to draw attention to the Modi government’s shortcomings on a number of fronts, including development, paper leaks, job security, unemployment, and farmer concerns.
Aside from concerns over regional development, the DMK’s online campaign is concentrated on preserving India, opposing the BJP’s takeover of the Indian Constitution, endorsing the policies of Chief Minister MK Stalin, and extending the “Dravidian Model” to other states.
Conclusion
Essentially, digital marketing has entirely changed Lok Sabha Elections in India and has given political campaigning an immense ability to reach out to and mobilize voters like never before. This varies from data-driven voter analytics to focused reach-out on social media and, in many ways, redefines the way political parties communicate with voters. The very digital nature in most modern platforms now makes the use of sophisticated digital strategies a qualification for any candidate to be able to stand a chance.
Political campaign marketing firms have come to be salient actors in this market since they have had the right know-how and vision to innovate and arrive at winning digital campaigns. The influence a campaign marketing firm has on campaigns, voter involvement, and electoral success cannot be measured. Their importance in shaping future elections was also going to be determined by the level of digital mix currently being undertaken in the polity, reflecting the changes in political communication that are contemporary to India. Political campaigns have gone through a digital revolution, and the same has come to stay, thus demonstrating to us that data and pixels now pave the way for electoral victory.
Komal is a dynamic and results-driven digital marketing professional with a passion for leveraging innovative strategies to drive business growth. Her expertise spans across social media marketing, content creation, SEO optimization, and data analytics, making her a valuable asset in the ever-evolving digital landscape.