POLITICAL IMAGE BUILDING IN DIGITAL AND VISUAL MEDIA: EXAMINING ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ON VOTER DECISION-MAKING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i4s.2026.7513Keywords:
Political Image Building, Social Media, Visual Messaging, Voter Engagement, Algorithmic Amplification, Authenticity, Emotional Resonance, Political CommunicationAbstract [English]
With the growth of the internet‚ social media platforms and image-centric platforms have emerged such as Facebook‚ Instagram‚ and X (formerly Twitter)‚ that allow political actors‚ candidates‚ and parties to create and share an impression management narrative to the public that seeks to construct perceptions and influence voter behavior․ This text examines the role of social media campaigns in shaping political brands and influencing voters' choices․ It also explores the economics of these campaigns‚ including the impact of advertising spends‚ content creation‚ and targeted messaging on the perception of political brands and electoral outcomes․ The study uses behavioral economics concepts to investigate the interaction of economic circumstances (income‚ employment status‚ and economic outlook) with digital political campaign communications in order to assess their impact on voter preferences․ The research seeks to provide insights into the effectiveness and ROI of social media political campaigns through a mixed-method approach‚ combining survey data and content analysis․ The results are expected to shed light on how digital political communication is both a means of persuasion and an economic activity shaping electoral outcomes‚ resource distribution and democratic practices․
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