Exploring the Digital Landscape of the 2024 Indonesian Election: More Than 50 Million Invested in Advertising
The 2024 General Elections in Indonesia are set to be held simultaneously on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Indonesian citizens will cast their votes directly, publicly, freely, secretly, honestly, and fairly elect their leaders in the 2024 Indonesian Election.
The elections in Indonesia are not only a pivotal political event but have also become an integral part of the community’s social culture. Citizens eagerly await this democratic celebration with great enthusiasm. This moment is deemed crucial in expressing freedom of speech and shaping the country’s future direction.
Social media serves as a common platform for expressing the freedom of speech, transforming into a virtual public arena where debates, campaigns, and the mobilization of public opinion occur in real time. This eliminates the geographical and social barriers that might previously impede political participation.
So, how do digital spaces and social media influence the dynamics of elections in Indonesia? Often serving as tools to shape public opinion, distribute information, and mobilize support, to the strategies of online advertising which become a crucial aspect of campaigning, how are they implemented?
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Social Media, Advertising, and the 2024 Indonesian Election
Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate, share information, and interact with one another. In the context of the 2024 elections, its role becomes increasingly critical, not just as a platform for the exchange of ideas but also as a primary battleground for voters to form and express their political opinions. With the speed of information spread and the ease of access it offers, social media holds a powerful sway in influencing voters’ perspectives and decisions.
A recent study mentions that the use of social media in political campaigns can boost public political participation.
Social media provides:
- An accessible and interactive platform for individuals to engage in political discussions.
- Leading to increased political participation in forms such as sharing information.
- Supporting candidates.
- Participating in elections.
As a gateway to information for many voters, social media will undoubtedly be one of the key players in the 2024 elections, facilitating dialogue between the public and politicians, and ultimately shaping the future of our democracy.
Some findings were discovered in the latest survey report by the Katadata Insight Center (KIC) titled “Political Perspectives of Generation Z & Millennials: Responses and Orientations towards Presidential Candidates, Political Parties, and the 2024 General Election Campaign.”
According to the KIC survey, 66.2% of 1,005 respondents use Instagram as their primary source for obtaining political information. Furthermore, 40.8% of respondents seek information through YouTube, 38.1% use Facebook, 33.8% utilize TikTok, and 30.2% choose Twitter as their platform to access political information.
Meanwhile, the number of respondents who use message-based social media like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Line to obtain political information is lower, as shown in the survey graph.
Therefore, referring to the 2019 Election trend, the effect of online advertising in the political world of Indonesia, especially during the election period, shows a significant impact. Social media and other online platforms become the main arena for candidates and political parties to communicate with voters, mobilize support, and spread information and campaign ads.
Will 2024 follow the same pattern? How will digital campaigns and online advertising unfold in the 2024 election spectacle?
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The Digital Space Landscape in Indonesian Elections
The digital landscape has increasingly become a dominant tactic in modern political campaigns. Throughout the 2024 Election, presidential candidates like Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, and Anies Baswedan have allocated significant funds for digital advertising on social media.
Open reports from the Meta Ad Library indicate that during the campaign for the Presidential Election in 2024, Prabowo Subianto spent around 8.67 billion Indonesian rupiahs, Ganjar Pranowo allocated 3.6 billion rupiahs, and Anies Baswedan spent 937 million rupiahs on digital ads.
These figures, drawn from accounts such as the Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team, TPN Ganjar Mahfud, Friends of Anies, and others, highlight that social media has become a highly contested political battleground. The expenditure of hundreds of millions to billions of rupiah underscores social media’s critical role in political campaigning.
The substantial investments made by each candidate are part of their campaign strategies. This is based on various studies indicating that political advertising on social media strongly influences voters’ political decisions.
Thus, in the 2024 Indonesian elections, candidates are pouring impressive amounts of campaign funds into various social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram via Meta Ads. This spending is a testament to the effectiveness of the digital landscape, including social media, as a campaigning tool.
Conclusion: The Influence of Digitalization on Politics
Exploring and understanding the 2024 Indonesian Election through the digital landscape offers fresh insights. Who would have thought that digital marketing or online advertising, initially recognized as a key to boosting revenue in the business industry, has now also become a strategic tool in the political arena?
The boldness of political actors in allocating impressive budgets for digital campaigns underscores their acknowledgment of the massive power of digital platforms in reaching and persuading audiences. Digital platforms not only allow campaigns to target audiences more precisely through advanced data and analytics but also provide a space for two-way interaction, resulting in a more personal and direct impact.
The 2024 Indonesian elections mark an evolution in how campaigns are conducted, moving from traditional methods to strategies more integrated with digital technology and social media. This reflects a shift in media consumption and social interaction among the public. Thus, digital marketing has demonstrated its vast potential, not just in advancing business but also in transforming the political landscape and strengthening campaigns in ways previously unseen.
Frequently Asked Question
Political advertising encompasses various forms of communication such as display ads, newspaper advertisements, billboards, signage, pamphlets, articles, newsletters, flyers, correspondence, radio or television broadcasts, and other mass communication methods. Its aim is to directly or indirectly appeal for votes or garner financial or other forms of support.
The utilization of social media in politics involves employing various online social platforms in political processes and engagements. These processes and engagements encompass all activities related to governing a nation or region.
