Vice President Kamala Harris made a big splash on social media by joining TikTok, a popular platform among young users. Her decision to create an account comes after President Biden announced that he would not seek re-election and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee for president.
Harris’s TikTok debut featured an eight-second video where she introduced herself to the platform’s audience. In just six hours, the video garnered an impressive 5.8 million views and attracted over 1.1 million followers. This move reflects the increasing significance of TikTok as a tool for politicians to engage with younger, tech-savvy demographics.
Unlike Facebook, TikTok has a higher concentration of users under 35 years old in the United States. A recent survey by Pew Research found that more than a third of TikTok’s 170 million users use the platform to stay informed about political matters. This proportion is significantly higher compared to Facebook and Instagram, making TikTok a key platform for politicians looking to connect with a younger audience interested in politics.
The rapid growth of Harris’s TikTok following highlights the platform’s potential to reach and engage with a diverse audience. As more politicians recognize the importance of connecting with voters through social media, platforms like TikTok are likely to play an increasingly prominent role in political communication strategies.
By leveraging TikTok’s reach and engagement capabilities, Harris has taken a proactive step towards connecting with young voters and expanding her digital presence. As the political landscape continues to evolve, embracing new communication channels like TikTok will be essential for politicians to effectively engage with voters across different age groups and demographics.
