STRATEGI CITRA POLITIK ANIES BASWEDAN, PRABOWO SUBIANTO, DAN GANJAR PRANOWO DI MEDIA SOSIAL X (TWITTER) PADA PESTA DEMOKRASI 2024

Abstract

This study examines the political image strategies of the 2024 presidential candidates on the X platform (Twitter) and their relationship with electability, employing the Political Marketing 4P Model (Kotler & Armstrong, 2016) and a directed content analysis approach (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). The findings reveal that social media engagement rates do not directly influence electability. Anies Baswedan achieved the highest engagement rate (0.25%) but ranked second in electability (23.3%), while Prabowo Subianto, with the lowest engagement rate (0.09%), attained the highest electability (51.9%). Ganjar Pranowo, despite demonstrating posting consistency (407 tweets), recorded a modest engagement rate of 0.11%. Engagement levels are influenced by content quality, issue relevance, and the ability to establish a connection with the audience. Anies’s dialogical approach and religious narratives effectively enhanced engagement, while Prabowo, despite infrequent postings, captured attention through visionary messages on Indonesia’s Golden Era 2045. Ganjar’s relaxed and humorous campaign style, aligned with social trends, resonated with younger generations but yielded limited engagement outcomes. The study concludes that social media serves as a crucial tool for constructing political images and engaging specific demographics, particularly millennials and Generation Z. However, its impact on electability remains limited, as electability is more significantly shaped by candidates’ track records, strategic issues, and political networks. Therefore, social media should be viewed as a complementary element within a broader campaign strategy rather than the sole determinant of electoral success. Keywords: Social media, engagement rate, electability, political image, digital campaign, content strategy