Influencers face a big dilemma when it comes to politics this election

Staying out of the political race might be the smartest move for a content creator’s career, but the influencers Izea surveyed seemed poised to do the opposite.

In fact, 82% of influential respondents said they plan to share their political views this election cycle. Additionally, 79% said they plan to attend political events or rallies, and 76% plan to financially support presidential campaigns.

For his report, Izea surveyed about 2,200 US adults who said they used social media; 875 of the respondents identified themselves as influencers.

So why are creators determined to enter the political discourse this year, despite the fact that it could reduce their popularity?

First, the creators believe they can have an impact on this year’s results. 92% of influencers who responded to Izea’s survey felt they could influence their followers’ opinions on political topics.

He could be right.

Social media was the main platform that 18- to 60-year-olds said they intended to tune in to stay informed about political developments this election year, according to the Izea report. News sites ranked second as a source of information for that age group.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become increasingly popular news sources among young Americans, with nearly half of 18- to 29-year-olds saying they use TikTok to keep up with politics or political issues, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center in March.

Presidential campaigns have taken note, vetting thousands of creators to serve as political surrogates online and at in-person events. In these elections, parties work with a wider range of influencers who don’t normally talk politics but can help them reach a strategic demographic.

“The reality is that today we consume a lot of media on our phones, and people get news from creators more than traditional media,” said Josh Helfgott, an LGBTQ+ advocate and creator with about 5.5 million TikTok followers, who attended last week’s Democratic National Convention for Business Insider. . Political campaigns are catching up, he said.

The second reason influencers may be willing to risk losing followers by sharing their political views online is because they are expected to.

While most social media users feel either neutral or negative about creators sharing their political views online, about half of Izea survey respondents said they believe influencers have a responsibility to use their platforms for political advocacy .

Creators are essentially forced to decide between offending some fans with their political views or annoying others by not advocating for issues they care about. Perhaps that’s why 62% of influencers told Izei they plan to address potential backlash from directly sharing their political views.