earticle

영어

The application of social media for political campaigns is not a recent phenomenon among political marketing scholars. The social media campaigns of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Narendra Modi are among the well-studied cases in the political marketing literature. However, the motivations behind social media campaigns for political candidates in developing countries, such as Nepal, have largely been overlooked in the literature. This paper explores the social media engagement behaviors of three electoral candidates, drawing on social media engagement theory. It analyzes 582 Facebook posts from these candidates using a multi-method approach. The findings from content analysis, sentiment analysis, and thematic analysis reveal distinct messaging patterns, varied voter sentiments, and the motivations of political candidates. The motivations for these candidates’ engagement on social media during elections include fostering voter engagement, expressing gratitude for support, and intrinsic motivation. This research contributes unique insights into the social media engagement behaviors of electoral candidates, providing practical guidance for political campaign managers. Such insights can help create impactful content that resonates with voters, ultimately enhancing political communication on social media platforms.