PP3 - Social Media

In recent years, social media has become a crucial tool for political campaigning. Various online platforms allow political individuals and groups to engage with broader audiences while sharing their goals and messages. Priorities USA is a Democratic Party super PAC that utilizes social media to inform and encourage voters. It prioritizes a focus on digital campaigning and data through various online platforms, including TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Priorities USA emphasizes the importance of digital content creation in shaping the public's opinion during campaign season. 

Priorities USA, founded in 2011, began as a super PAC for Barack Obama (Ballotpedia). Throughout the following years, it has supported presidential democratic nominees such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and, most recently, Kamala Harris. With the motto "fighting for your priorities," Priorities USA aims to provide information that encourages voters to support progressive values and make their voices heard during election season. 

Video Link in Photo (Our Priorities Are Possible).

Priorities USA is devoted to mobilizing voters through digital strategies. It has invested in numerous programs and trainings to support other progressive organizations in navigating the political digital world. Its programs include a Fellowship Program, which gives historically underrepresented individuals a hands-on opportunity in progressive political media careers, and a Grants Program, which funds organizations that want to expand their digital outreach across the nation. It also hosts a Training Program and provides toolkits for various organizations' digital programs. 

In terms of social media use, Priorities USA stays active on numerous platforms throughout election seasons. It utilizes each social media account based on what form of content the platform best caters to. 

For example, on TikTok, Priorities USA benefits from the app's short video format where it posts content ranging from advertisements to popular trends. One of its most viral videos used a popular sound at the time, a song called "Femininomenon", in support of Kamala Harris' entry as the democratic nominee for the 2024 election. The video, which shows Harris' support of LGBTQ+ rights throughout the years, is set to a song by Chappell Roan, a popular lesbian artist. This strategy speaks to LGBTQ+ voters by following a popular trend within the community. 

Video Link in Photo.

Priorities USA also uses Instagram to further push its message. It often posts infographics on the photo-sharing-based platform that communicates information to potential voters. Around the time that Harris' campaign began, it shared a post that served as a guide to her and Walz' lives and achievements, as well as their stances on various issues. 

The infographic post from Priorities USA's Instagram. 

Priorities USA operates its X account in a similar manner to its Instagram, often posting infographics to convey important information to its audience. On X, though, it is able to utilize the app's short message post format to send out updates quickly. Priorities USA also engages with other users more on X through the repost feature. It was able to send out a message post pertaining to Harris' loss in the 2024 presidential election, which is done much quicker than creating or sourcing a video or image. It was also able to generate a thread under the post relaying more information, which cannot be done on other popular social media platforms. 

Priorities USA's response post to Harris' loss on X.

Though Priorities USA also owns a Facebook and YouTube account, it does not post on those sites as frequently as on the aforementioned platforms. Its last post on Facebook was from 2019, while its last post on YouTube was from a year ago. I believe that posting more frequently on these platforms would allow Priorities USA to reach a broader audience, especially in the case of YouTube, which is popular among many other campaign groups. 

In this age where digital content has a major impact on the public's political opinions, Priorities USA harnesses an effective social media strategy while supporting the Democratic Party throughout the election seasons. By utilizing each online platform based on its content-sharing format, Priorities USA can create compelling posts that inform and engage voters. Its commitment to not only navigating but succeeding in this digital landscape serves as an example to other organizations hoping to do the same.