In the political world, social networks are occupying a central place in any communication strategy. At El Desconcierto we review the institutional and personal accounts of ministers and portfolios, drawing up a ranking. Here we tell you who they are and the reasons for their popularity.
In Chile, 17.85 million people have a profile on some social networkaccording to the report Digital Global overview report 2022. Of them, Facebook concentrate 12.5 million of registered users, followed by Instagram (11.65 million), Tick tock (8.55 million) and, at the end of the pyramid, Chirping (2.9 million).
Each of these platforms is a central part of the first government’s digital strategy of the Millennium from Chile led by Gabriel Boric. baffles him reviewed the personal and institutional accounts of ministers and ministries, to test how much myth and how much truth there is about the deployment of authorities on these platforms.
By crossing the data of the four main social networks currently used (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook), the data show a marked difference in popularity. The list leads Camila VallejoMinister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Government, which accumulates 2,338,987 followers between the four social networks. At the opposite end, his colleague Silvia Diazof Science and Technology, reaches the humble sum of 3,214 followers.
Vallejo follows in the top 5 George Jackson (Social development) with 1,817,096; Caroline Toha (in) with 326,603; Maya Fernández (defense) with 142,779; yes Charles Montes (Minvu) with 132,537 Accumulated followers.
The situation changes radically when reviewing the institutional accountswhere is he Ministry of Health is the most popular, with a sum of 2,571,893 followers. They follow Educationwith 1,362,344; Housing and urban planningwith 984.638; Environmentwith 846.493; and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritagewith 698.188.
For government wallets, Facebook It is the social network with the most followers; but for the ministerslos followers they mainly focus on Chirping.
Graph 1. Data for social networks and ministries. Data updated as of Thursday 10 November 2022.
Graph 2. Data by social network and ministry. Data updated as of Thursday 10 November 2022.
Facebook: A Paradise for Generation X
Facebook is a social network created in 2004 by a group of Harvard undergraduates including Mark Zuckerberg, its current owner. I have 2.910 million users active worldwide, and its daily use is concentrated between 25 and 54 years old. In our country, this social network is the favorite of the Generation X (41 to 55 years old), with a preference of 58%.
In Chile, wallets with high social utilityLsuch as healthcare, education and housingthey are the ones that concentrate the largest number of followers in all social networks, but it is Facebook that has the greatest digital influence.
Patricia Penaan academic of the Faculty of Communication and Image (ICEI) of the University of Chile, indicates that these numbers are explained by the fact that they are ministries of social securitywhere people look for useful information for their daily life.
Hypothesis shared also by Enzo Abbagliattiexecutive director of the consulting firm Critical factorwho points out that it is entirely logical that these ministries contain the largest number of followers because they are “sectoral” portfolios, which deal with a set of public policies that provide specific benefits or services to citizens”, such as primary health care or housing subsidies.
–But why is Facebook the network that concentrates the largest number of followers?
“Because the generation that started using it more intensely between 2007 and 2008, which today I’m 40 and upThey were the first users of Facebook in Chile and have continued to use it because it suits them and because, in fact, its interface still has the logic of generating conversation”. Pena points out.
“It is logical that it is Facebook”, adds Abbaggliati, “because it is the network with the highest penetration in Chile among social networks; and moreover, it has a higher penetration into those people in whom these ministries have a direct influence”.
What about TikTok and Instagram?
Born in 2016 in China, TikTok has spread in a pandemic and is characterized by being the favorite social network of the new generations; to date, accumulates more than 1.023 million users Worldwide.
But boom of everyone’s newest social network does not yet reach all ministries of our country, where only 11 out of 24 government wallets have an account in the application. That is, less than half.
Pena explains it said deficit It could be because communicating from Tik Tok requires creating a new strategybecause it is a completely audiovisual application with a different language from its companions.
video/7163613056025529606" data-video-id="7163613056025529606">@ministra_camilavallejo Do you have questions about the proposed pension reform? Have you heard or read a lot of information and feel confused or confused? 🥴 🤔💭 In this chapter I explain your doubts about this important proposal you are looking for #BestPensions in the present and in the future of every pensioner. #for you #fyp ♬ original sound – Camila Vallejo
“It is obvious that there is a preference in networks where you already have a stable follower account“, points out.
For the director of Factor Crítico, the situation could also be due to the similarity between TikTok and Instagram, which share an audience. “They could reach that audience via Instagram”suggest.
The latter, in fact, is the most used social network by Generation Z (from 13 to 23 years old) e Of the Millennium (from 24 to 40 years old). Of the first group, the 73% use it dailyMeanwhile he 60% of the Millennials it does.
Although they both agree that there is a follower retention strategyWhere is the digital campaign aiming? maintain the existing audienceinstead of betting on new strategies for a more or less new application.
“It can’t happen that people leave you, regardless of the administration, because they are people who connect through that account,” concludes Peña.
¿Ministers influencers?
Ministers dancing on the Internet, uploading stories, create memes and share their activities. This is how Camila Vallejo and Giorgio Jackson show themselves on their personal Instagram and TikTok accounts. Both are the most popular on social networks and the best known by people of all ages.
According to the survey Cadem squares political figures best known to the people They are the ministers with the most followers on their social networks: Vallejo, Jackson and Toha.
Further down, the similarities between digital profiles and opinion metrics begin to blur. While the survey indicates it Mario Marcel and Manuel Monsalve complete the Top 5 best-known authorities, Carlos Montes and Maya Fernández They are the ones with the most digital drag.
Study of Public Square, Cadem.
Enzo Abbagliati explains that, for the case of Vallejo and JacksonTheir popularity goes back to their years as student leaders, who built a community around them; especially on Twitter where they exceed one million followers.
This contrasts with the total application community in our country, with just 2.9 million users in total. Also, this pagethe platform that is in the eye of the storm after being acquired by Elon Muskwho pretends reduce Twitter workforce by 75%so it is expected that undergo major changes in the future.
For Dazzling the concentration of followers on Twitter “has to do with the fact that it is by far the most political network of allin the sense that it is the one that has, from the point of view of public debate, a faster and more noticeable impact”.
The platform offers visibility to opinion leaders from around the world, making it “very easy to contribute or be part of the public debate; that’s why when you look at what the 24 ministers, all have a Twitter accountbut not everyone necessarily has a Facebook page, an Instagram or TikTok profile, because they are secondary networks for conveying the political message,” he adds.
– What about the government’s digital campaign?
This was underlined by Patricia Peña, an academic at the University of Chile “There is a phenomenon that you are dragging generations of people”. That is, it is not only a sum of people, but also experiences that translate into accumulated followers.
“It is a summa, where the digital communication strategy is just one more stage of the government’s global communication strategy”, underlines Enzo Abbagliati.
In his opinion, “the the first six months in digital matters were more than due, more strategic designs needed to be seen, and there seemed to be little coordination between each ministry. Everyone acted with sufficient freedom of action. I think now, after the plebiscite, with the unfolding of its major reforms, we have seen this there is a coherent design of the digital communication strategythat it is systematic and that it is closely aligned with the different institutions that support it”.
