Kamala Harris Is Winning TikTok With Authenticity
Despite getting a late start, Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is surging on TikTok and they’re doing it by not acting like a presidential campaign on TikTok. The campaign’s account now boasts over 5 million followers and, as this Fast Company piece explains, this success comes from engaging with the platform’s users like other TikTokers would.
A social media phenomenon is taking place over on TikTok, and it could have huge implications for the 2024 election.
For the last three-plus weeks, Kamala Harris’ official campaign account has been grabbing the attention of millions of users, posting videos to trending sounds and memes at a rapid pace with a level of sarcasm and humor that feels far more organic than her predecessor. That approach has injected a fresh dose of enthusiasm into the presidential race; it’s making campaign content . . . fun again?
“It has developed such a personality and such a brand that’s an asset to her, and it’s fun to follow, and it sparks joy,” says V Spehar, the podcaster and creator of the @underthedesknews account, which boasts more than three million TikTok followers.
Instead of just repurposing existing campaign content for TikTok, like almost all other campaigns since TikTok became un-ignorable in the last few years, the Harris campaign is empowering genuine Gen Z experts to use the platform they way other users do. They’re shrinking approval chains and allowing their team to move opportunistically and capitalize on trends at the speed of TikTok. And it’s getting results.
A five-person Gen Z team is behind KamalaHQ’s videos, according to CNN. The team reportedly pitches quickly and has set minimal approval standards in order to cut out bureaucracy and help the account participate in trending conversations. When Harris announced Tim Walz as her running mate, the campaign set a video of the two at a rally to an audio clip taken from the hit reality show Love Island: “This week, a hot new bombshell enters the villa.”
They aren’t just broadcasting one-to-many like campaigns usually do. They understand the parasocial nature of social media relationships and they are legitimately engaging the community that they are building.
That’s because, according to Spehar, Harris’ campaign is the first to understand parasocial relationships in the TikTok era. “They’re acting as an authentic TikToker,” Spehar tells Fast Company. “They are not acting just as a campaign, which is sort of one-sided.”
The channel, for example, often reposts other users’ videos. The creators behind the original posts may then go on to create even more content (i.e., “KamalaHQ just reposted me!”), which may in turn prompt yet more users to check out the KamalaHQ’s account.
The Harris campaign is also playing into the TikTok algorithm. They’re posting videos with trending sounds and have a reliable pace of videos going up. While TikTok’s algorithm is relatively elusive, it’s clear that playing into trends will get you forward.
“KamalaHQ has done a great job of using current viral TikTok trends and sounds, which have contributed to the viral nature of the account,” says Lisa Arden, owner of Hella Cool Dog Co. and the creator of @allthefosterpups.
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“What sets KamalaHQ apart from other campaign social media accounts, such as Trump’s or other Democrats’, is its focus on relatability, authenticity, and engaging with younger voters on a personal level,” says Ramaa Mosley, co-founder and chief creative officer of agency Adolescent Content. “Unlike Trump’s dominance on TikTok with a more serious tone, Harris’ memes resonate with the audience by portraying her as someone they can connect with.”
This is how you do it.