Election week presents a unique challenge for brands on social media. The intense focus on political events, discussions, and news can easily overshadow brand messaging, and for brands looking to stay visible and relevant, adapting a sensitive and smart approach is essential.
At Zozimus, we help our clients navigate this heightened period by guiding them on timing, content choices, and moderation. Here’s our approach to managing social content during election week.
Pause Your Boosted Content
During election periods, social media becomes saturated with political content and paid campaign messaging. To protect your brand’s investment and ensure your message doesn’t get lost in the noise, we strongly recommend pausing all boosted social media campaigns from November 1-8, 2024.
For our clients: We will automatically pause all scheduled boosted posts during this period and will work with you to optimize campaign timing for better ROI.
Avoid Election-Related Commentary
Even seemingly neutral election-related content can inadvertently spark controversy. Unless your brand has a specific, non-partisan reason to engage with election topics, we recommend maintaining complete distance from election-related discussions.
This includes:
- “Get out the vote” messages
- Election day reminders
- Civic engagement posts
- Any content that could be interpreted as taking a political stance
Consider a "Dark Period" Around Election Day
The most crucial period for social media silence is November 4-6. During these days:
- News feeds will be dominated by election coverage
- User attention will be focused on results and updates
- Engagement with brand content typically plummets
- Risk of misinterpretation or negative engagement increases
For our managed content clients: We are already adjusting your content calendars to accommodate this dark period and will reschedule any priority content for optimal visibility.
Strengthen Your Moderation Strategy
Even brands that stay neutral may experience increased activity in their comments sections during election week. Prepare by:
- Having clear community guidelines in place
- Ensuring adequate moderation coverage
- Creating response protocols for political comments
- Being ready to turn off comments if necessary
- Training your social media team on crisis management
Prepare Your Post-Election Strategy
Once election coverage subsides, audiences will be ready to re-engage with brand content. Position your brand for success by:
- Preparing a strong content pipeline for mid-November
- Planning engaging, community-focused content
- Having feel-good stories ready to share
- Focusing on your core brand message and values
For our clients: We’re developing robust post-election content strategies to help your brand maintain momentum through the end of the year.
What We're Doing for Our Clients
As your social media partner, we’re taking proactive steps to protect and strengthen your brand presence during election week:
- Pausing all scheduled boosted posts during the designated period
- Adjusting content calendars to avoid the election week “dark period”
- Enhancing moderation protocols
- Developing strong post-election content strategies
- Providing real-time support and monitoring throughout the election period
Looking Ahead
Election week can be challenging, but by implementing these strategies, your brand can successfully navigate the noise and keep your social media presence relevant, sensitive, and prepared. At Zozimus, we’re dedicated to helping our clients make smart, timely decisions that build their brand and connect them with their audience—even during one of the busiest weeks on social media.
Need help adjusting your social media strategy for election week? Our team is here to help. Contact us to discuss your specific needs and concerns.
BOSTON, MARS
