Parties turn to organic posts under social media ad ban

Estonian political parties are relying more on unpaid social media posts as they prepare for parliamentary elections, after paid political advertising was banned on Meta and Google platforms last autumn, ERR reports.

Isamaa secretary-general Andres Metsoja said political content itself had not been banned, only its promotion through paid advertising. He said posts must be engaging to spread organically, and argued that unpaid reach can be more effective than paid ads, which risk becoming background noise during an election campaign.

Metsoja cited Sandra Laur and Jüri Ratas as party figures who attract viewers on social media, and said Aivar Koka’s gardening and cooking videos are also popular. Isamaa plans to invest in quality content to reach more people with its election positions.

According to public data cited by Metsoja, Isamaa and candidates associated with the party spent a total of 35,000 euros on paid advertising on Meta platforms in the final month before the 2023 parliamentary elections. That was 20,000 euros less than the Reform Party and the Social Democratic Party spent, and 40,000 euros less than the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia.

Metsoja said higher costs, including an increase in value-added tax, would make the overall campaign more expensive. He described the campaign as a whole in which advertising across streets, television, radio and online supports the party’s programme.

Social Democratic Party secretary-general Piret Hartman said the inability to advertise on Facebook and Instagram would affect the party’s ability to reach people. The party is responding with more frequent posts, sharing and amplifying one another’s content, and creating more videos. It is also training members to use social media, while seeking more direct contact with voters at events and on the streets. The party has begun a poster campaign in several counties.

Hartman said social media advertising had made up a relatively small part of the party’s budget in the previous election, and that the money would be redirected to advertising through other channels.

Estonia 200 chief executive Anneli Kannus said the restrictions took effect shortly before the previous local elections, prompting parties to rethink their campaign practices.