Electoral campaigns on social networks: leaders' strategies in Spain's 2023 General Election

Introduction: Political communication today occurs within a hybrid environment where traditional and digital media coexist, with the latter deeply integrated into election campaigns worldwide. The study examines how Spain's main political party leaders (PP, PSOE, Sumar, and Vox) utilized social media (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) during the 2023 General Election. Social media has become a hybrid communication tool, offering both traditional and interactive capabilities, playing a key role in political campaigns. Methodology: Using a mixed-method content analysis, the study evaluated 1,651 posts from July 5 to July 25, 2023. The analysis included quantitative (number of posts) and qualitative (use of platform features) dimensions across the 5Ws framework: function, protagonists, space, staging, and technical aspects. Results: Leaders from Vox and Sumar, newer political parties, demonstrated advanced social media strategies. Most posts focused on agenda promotion and attack strategies, with X/Twitter and Instagram being the most used platforms. Leaders differed in personalization and visual strategies: Vox emphasized mass appeal, while PSOE and Sumar focused on professionalism. Discussion: Social media use reflects party differences: traditional parties use private and official spaces, while newer parties favor public, spontaneous settings. Content often overlaps across platforms but adapts slightly to platform-specific norms. Video and visual content dominate, highlighting audience preferences. Conclusions: Findings reveal that while communication strategies across platforms do not show substantial variation, recently established political parties demonstrate a stronger ability to leverage advanced functionalities of social platforms, showcasing superior strategic communication management tailored to their audiences' preferences and needs.