Why Do Political Candidates Use Social Media in Election Campaigning? An Explanation Offered by a Cost-Benefit Calculation Using Survey Data

Abstract

This article examines the use of social media during the 2021 Mexican legislative election. Political candidates were contacted through the email addresses they had listed and sent a questionnaire to fill out. Thus, the research is based on original data directly collected from political candidates. Political candidates commented on their use of social media during the election campaign. The research used closed questions. The assumption was that political candidates would use social media if they felt that the benefits outweighed the costs associated with managing social media accounts. The utility of social media can also lie in the opportunity to gain new votes. The results show that political candidates used social media more if they perceived that it was being used in their constituency. If few voters in a constituency use social media, then the potential utility of using social media declines. Furthermore, they used them more if they perceived that from an economic point of view, managing an account and sending a message were not that costly.