
How Instagram became a must for politicians — part 2
More than three years ago, I wrote a post about the use of Instagram by politicians and governments. At that time, in Italy we had black and white photos of Nomfup (strategist of former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi); globally Barack Obama was the most followed leader; and leaders in the Middle East and Asia had a very large fanbase. Trump was still far away. I don’t think Daniela Santanchè (an Italian politician) already had an Instagram account.
Above all, while I was writing that post back in 2016, I couldn’t imagine that, a few years later, I would find myself working on social media strategy for a Ministry.
So, what changed?
In 2016, we didn’t have stickers, gifs, and polls but, from that moment on, the pursuit of politicians to take the best-possible picture to post on Instagram has never stopped. Actually, it has increased.

This is why I decided to update that original post, to see what has changed and how. I’ll try to do this every three years, if Instagram will still be in our lives. I should put an alert on my iPhone.
The British royals’ social media strategy continues to work out well, but the cool princes are no longer William and Kate, but Harry and Meghan. When the Sussex Royals opened their Instagram account, they broke all records by acquiring the greatest number of followers in the shortest timeframe: 1 million in an hour and 45 minutes.
A record valid until a few weeks ago, when Jennifer Aniston suddenly opened her account (we missed you, Rachel!)
The hype around the more funny son of Lady Diana has grown dramatically, offline and online, due to his relationship with actress Meghan Markle, their marriage, and the birth of Prince Archie. In terms of numbers, with 9.7 million followers, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are about to overcome the account of his brothers-in-law (Kensington Palace has 10.2 M).
As for the United States, notwithstanding Trump, since 2016 Barack Obama is the stars and stripes’ President with the most followers (about 25 million). A well-established digital presence, which is not intended to surprise that much. But beyond the White House, which on Instagram, apart from the Christmas furniture presented by the First Lady, is not so interesting (Donald Trump’s favorite social network is Twitter), the most incisive Instagram users today are the new Dems like Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, Beto O ‘Rourke, and Elisabeth Warren.
We all fell in love with AOC: watching her IG Stories we were thrilled when she was elected, she made us discover the Congress through the eyes of a 30-year-old, she responded to the criticisms of her opponents with a ballet and she teaches us everyday how to survive a stressful job. Because she is one of us, a young woman looking for peace. That’s why she always gives us advices on how to practice mindfulness or take care of the garden.
For politics, diplomacy, and journalism, Twitter is still the institutional channel par excellence, for communicating quickly without going through news agencies.
But on Instagram feed, the political communication has found a new way to tell the story from the backstage, behind closed doors, as it is currently happening in the US with the presidential election race.
Many candidates running for the 2020 election have jumped on Instagram to intercept the younger voters. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the number of members of the House of Representatives on Instagram has increased more than on any other social media channel: from 25% in 2015, to 50% in 2018.
Among these, the Texan Beto O ’Rourke, who filmed himself at the dentist for Instagram Live.

I consider it a questionable choice of personal branding, but if his goal was to end up on everyone’s lips he succeeded.
Anyway, it sums up the chance granted to politicians: if with a tweet they respond to the controversy of the adversary, on Instagram they are able to create a bond with the voters that is even more tight than on Facebook, that is by now very institutional.
Last but not least, the nerdiest and the first candidate of Asian origins in US history: Andrew Yang.
Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and politician. Yang has so much to tell and he wants to speak to voters through as many platforms as possible. Practically everywhere, even on Quora.
He received great endorsements
Someone says he had already won the Internet primary, we’ll see, but it’s for sure my favorite.
What about Italy?
In 2016, I mentioned Renzi. Today, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Perhaps from the most virtuous: Beppe Sala, the mayor of Milan.
I live in Rome and I don’t go to Milan often. Yet, the Mayor’s Instagram account makes me want to go and find out news related to the administration even if I don’t “need” it. This happens because — I admit it — he is cool on Instagram. He knows how to convey his personality, his love for his job, and for the city of Milan. A formula made of close interactions with citizens and officials, which would not be possible online if these were not his characteristics offline. Perhaps he could start using IG stories, like Lia Quartapelle.
Quartapelle is a deputy of the Italian Democratic Party, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and, on a daily basis, she tells us the main foreign policy facts and her work at the Parliament: easily explaining international crises, doing live streaming and Q&A sessions.
Let’s talk about the big ones. Matteo Salvini, Luigi Di Maio, Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Renzi, Nicola Zingaretti — I put them in the order of followers — , they all integrated Instagram in their communication strategy, but the interactions with users are always limited.
Everyone wants to go “live” and show how good they are on public speaking, but just a few are able to use the true potential of this tool by creating ad hoc contents for Instagram and developing a true digital bond (if you have ideas or examples, I’m more than happy to read them in the comments). Handshakes between leaders and voters take place only offline, with the already “conquered” voters. Maybe it’s just me, but after a while I get tired of seeing the same things on Facebook or on the TV news. We have to realize this before TikTok conquers Italy and the young generations leave Instagram.
No leader has the courage to answer questions in real time or to simply show his/her feelings or use a pinch of irony. With the exception, for example, of Donald Tusk, the European Council President, who addressed in this manner such a hot topic like Brexit.
The formats that can be used are many, even less risky, but the fear towards digital media is sometimes too strong.
In Italy, the steps taken by politicians and the institutions are too short and slow compared to the speed with which social media evolves. Those technologies proclaimed by the leaders on stages as tools of the future, are still far from them. They should inform people by involving them, not just looking for likes.
The selfie lover and dem candidate Elisabeth Warren (here’s an article about how her “selfie line” works) wanted to share a moment of relax with her followers, but she did not publish a photo of a beer on the table, she took a step further: she drunk it during an Instagram Q&A live session!
How long will IG Stories last?
One of the few golden rules of social media that I endorse is that as soon as the under-20s leave a channel, it starts declining and is forced to change. This year my Facebook profile turns 10 years old and, I gotta say it, it feels all of them. I was lucky enough to enjoy this tool when it was still a forge of ideas and passions that led to getting to know and collaborate with people far away from you. Now my average annual post is of 2.
Facebook is not dead, other things work, like groups and videos on Facebook Watch. People have felt the need to draw a limit to an endless sea of posts that didn’t interest them, and migrated on other platforms.
In a place where everyone wants to sell, you will always choose funny content and the product that has stood out among all.
Potentially the same thing could happen to Instagram, where our mothers have arrived, the youngest ones have created alternative profiles so not to be discovered by their parents or have run away on TikTok (giving their best, it must be said).
If for example TikTok will be the next frontier on which politicians will have to confront with each other, they should start thinking about it already now. To be ready and shape their identity on a new platform that is no longer only for dances and karaoke.
Just by giving a glance at the Washington Post’s amazing TikTok account it is clear what it means to do brand recognition without talking about your product.
An attempt that certainly honors an organization that at 141 years old is brave enough to dive into an sea of under-20s, where companies and institutions are still hiding and there aren’t — fortunately — marketing rules like on Facebook or Instagram.
Creativity reigns over TikTok, time doesn’t exist (the app does not tell you when the video was posted) and for once it is lawful and obligatory to copy.
Now that most social networks have become institutional, TikTok can help us get back to their fun side, where we should not be afraid to experiment and accept the challenges.

