A recent survey by WeThink, conducted for The Economist, reveals that 65% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Britain have encountered election-related content on TikTok in recent weeks. Despite this, political parties have not heavily invested in the platform. Reform UK, however, has shifted its strategy to capitalize on TikTok, aiming to engage young voters overlooked by the Tories. While TikTok has significantly influenced elections in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, and France, its impact on Britain's general election campaign has been limited. Nonetheless, a substantial portion of campaign spending this year is directed towards social media and online advertising, indicating that future elections in Britain may see greater emphasis on platforms like TikTok. Journalist and content creator Sophia Smith Galer has reflected on the political campaigning on TikTok.
General Election: Journalist and content creator Sophia Smith Galer reflects on the political campaigning on TikTok https://t.co/NOg52CsW1m
A big chunk of campaign spending this year will go towards social media and online advertising. Even if this doesn’t turn out to be Britain’s TikTok election, the next one probably will be https://t.co/NJkaSp8O3s 👇
General election via TikTok: Are political campaigns geared towards younger voters working? https://t.co/Ju5VELmkgj https://t.co/Ju5VELmkgj
This has already been the year of the TikTok election: the app has helped politicians in Indonesia, Pakistan and France win support. But the platform is not having the same sort of impact on Britain’s general-election campaign https://t.co/YmSNLSwJcx 👇
📱 Growing on TikTok was not an original part of Reform UK's strategy, but party figures believe they are now reaching an audience of young people overlooked by the Tories https://t.co/xJMrN9zLIn
Which party is the most popular on Tiktok? Follow LBC's General Election coverage live here: https://t.co/30CSZWgvC2
Some 65% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Britain have seen something about the election on TikTok in recent weeks, according to a survey for The Economist by WeThink, a polling firm. But the parties themselves have not put much weight on the platform https://t.co/d0tuET4z2Y 👇