A new study by global creator agency Billion Dollar Boy, which surveyed over 4,000 consumers and 500 creators, suggests a major shift in political campaign strategies as parties increasingly leverage influencer marketing to reach voters.

The research reveals that 28% of U.S. content creators have been approached to produce political content before the 2024 presidential election.

Source: Billion Dollar Boy

Up to 39% of them have been contacted by political organizations for content creation during this and previous elections. Additionally, 43% of creators who haven’t been approached express interest in potential future political collaborations.

Source: Billion Dollar Boy

Consumer sentiment towards political creator content is mixed. While 52% of U.S. voters welcome such content in some form, 30% oppose creators posting paid or non-paid political content during an election year, indicating the need for careful targeting in creator partnerships.

Age and gender play a role in receptivity to political creator content:

• 76% of 16-24 year olds welcome it
• 68% of 25-34 year olds
• 60% of 35-44 year olds
• 44% of 45-54 year olds
• 25% of 55+ year olds
• 51% of male voters vs. 45% of female voters

The research suggests that ‘organic’ political creator content is more effective than sponsored partnerships. 

Up to 43% of American voters welcome organic content, and 31% are receptive to sponsored content. Organic content encourages 36% of voters to participate in elections, compared to 27% for sponsored content.

Source: Billion Dollar Boy

“We’re already seeing why this year is being dubbed ‘the influencer election,’ with our research showing the sheer number of U.S. creators being tapped to make political content,” Edward East, Global CEO and co-founder of Billion Dollar Boy said in a news release. 

“We expect this number to rise and political advertising to increase in the weeks leading up to the polls. As media consumption and consumer behavior continue to shift, social media is increasingly chosen as the preferred channel over linear to reach more viewers,” East added. 

Political Parties are Harnessing Influencers

Both major political parties are actively engaging with creators. 

The Republican National Convention employed influencers’ services in its content creator program, Send the Vote. This PAC, which has reported funding of $20 million, features popular YouTube personalities the Nelk Boys and various UFC fighters in its outreach efforts.

Conversely, the Democratic campaign hosted the first White House Creator Economy Conference, discussing key industry concerns, such as AI, fair compensation, data privacy, and social media’s impact on mental health. 

The DNC also granted media credentials to 200 social media influencers for the Chicago convention in late August, marking the first time either major U.S. political party officially included content creators in their convention press corps.

However, according to recent reporting by Lee Fang, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) hasn’t established clear guidelines for disclosing payments to individual influencers for election-related content. 

While traditional campaign advertisements require disclaimer notices identifying the sponsor, influencer marketing operates unregulated. The lack of transparency in influencer payments makes tracking which content creators receive compensation for political messaging challenging.