Social Media isn't a Politician's Digital Flyer
- Jaegar Laird
- May 28
- 9 min read
Segmenting your message, digital door-knocking, and an all-in-one tool for voter identification, sentiment analysis, and GOTV.
Author: Jaegar Laird, Social Media & Political Consultant
Contact: jaegar@rogueconsultingco.com
Note: Rogue Advantage (www.rogueadvantage.com) is a digital political consulting firm based in Atlantic Canada. We’re proud to serve and support the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia, the Conservative Party of Canada, and related organizations.
Table of Contents
Social media is being used like a digital flyer by politicians, but it could be so much more. Social media can segment messaging, provide useful voter data, and give campaigns a direct line of communication with voters.
Flyers blast a single message to everyone. But digital campaigns can segment, track, and win. Why are political campaigns stuck in the past?
People scroll, click, and comment—but campaigns still broadcast like it’s 1997. Politics needs a modern skillset for a modern media ecosystem.
From persuasion to GOTV, social media can do it all—if you use it right. Treat every like, comment, and view like a door knock.
We don’t settle, we drive results. Our team gives Conservative campaigns the digital edge to win—before, during, and after Election Day. From targeted ad strategy to bi-monthly analytics, we deliver what campaigns actually need to win in 2025—and beyond.
Introduction: That’s Not Strategy–That’s Noise.
"This new approach will change the game."
Scroll through most Canadian political social media accounts and you’ll find the same thing–ribbon cutting, clips from Question Period, and a pinned post from last Christmas. That’s not strategy–that’s noise.
Most politicians in Canada aren’t using social media properly. It is too often treated like a “digital flyer” where they engage in one sided communication, post lifeless content, and push messaging to voters who care about other issues. This overlooks an incredible opportunity: to segment your messaging, collect more voter data, and engage in two-way communication with voters.
The private sector learned long ago that this so-called flyer model doesn’t work. Social media is a powerful digital marketing tool with world class data sets, and it has the ability to accurately segment content to different groups. Instead of pushing the same message to everyone like a flyer, smart companies segment their audiences—delivering the right offer to the right person at the right time. The political world hasn’t adopted this mindset, but this new approach will change the game.
As I will discuss in detail, social media is so much more than a digital flyer. It is the new front porch of politics. People experience community and live on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. For campaigns in today’s media ecosystem, it is not just about presence—social media could be an all-in-one tool for voter identification, sentiment analysis, and GOTV.
The Problem: The Digital Flyer vs. Digital Marketing
"There’s no more hoping your post is seen by the right people–you can target them directly, and with the right strategy you can turn that impression into a vote."
The difference between digital flyers and digital marketing is measurable–successful digital marketing creates useful data, and it can be turned into votes.
Flyers are blunt instruments. No targeting, no feedback. Companies would send out a generic flyer with a wide variety of deals in hopes of attracting as many people as possible. Nowadays I know more people who use the flyer to heat their homes than take advantage of deals. I still check grocery flyers—but I get them on my iPad, not in my mailbox. It’s a new day for marketing, and politics hasn’t caught up.
The private sector moved on from flyers when they weren’t doing the trick. They can be a bit more precise than a flyer. Some companies are more clever than others, but nobody is sending out flyers like a Hail Mary anymore.
Political campaigns haven’t quite moved on. An overall message and flyers serve their purpose. But on social media, a post about seniors' policy doesn’t matter to 20 year old voters, but they reach them anyways–campaigns are just hoping the post reaches enough of the right people.
Companies have adapted, and many now rely on social media to sell their products. The advantage for them is the ability to target specific deals at specific people likely to act. Farming equipment isn’t advertised to urban university students. Baby gear isn’t advertised to 70 year old retirees. Advertisers know I love Boston Celtics basketball because of my Google and social media activity, so I get ads for Celtics apparel. Even further, they know I love basketball but don’t give me ads for other teams like the New York Knicks or Toronto Raptors. Companies advertise without exclusively awareness in mind–they’re driving sales. And for campaigns, sales are votes.
Political campaigns can take advantage of the same tools. Meta’s database is extensive and able to accurately push ads to people based on age, gender, location, interests, and account activity. There’s no more hoping your post is seen by the right people–you can target them directly, and with the right strategy you can turn that impression into a vote.
From coast to coast, campaigns and politicians repeat the same formula: Question Period clips, award photos, family snapshots, and recycled party lines. Sometimes it works. Most of the time, it blends into the noise. Some politicians and campaign teams take social media more seriously than others, but regardless, they are all trying to break through. Segmenting their messaging gives them a measurable and cost effective way to do that.
So, why has the political world failed to catch up? As I will discuss in the next section, I think it has to do with a failure to apply a modern playbook to politics in a changing media ecosystem. Once campaigns do catch up, the segmenting is only the first step. A successful social media presence can be used to collect voter data and drive GOTV efforts.
The Disconnect: Today’s Media Ecosystem vs. Yesterday’s Skillset
"I’m not saying your campaign should behave like Wendy’s, but it has no doubt sold them a few hamburgers."
The political media ecosystem has changed dramatically, but many campaigns deploy the same playbook. The media ecosystem of the past was costly and fragmented. A politician or campaign team could use TV, newspapers, radio, or mailouts with the goal of reaching people where they are.
Those options are still available today, but social media has numerous benefits. It exists in real time. It is cost-effective. It is accessible for both campaign teams and voters. And importantly, it is interactive.
People use social media for a wide variety of things, but in general people live on these platforms. On social media, people react, share, and chat–only politicians treat social media like a digital flyer with one-way communication. Even businesses and organizations have found clever ways to innovate with social media by engaging with their followers either directly or through their content. Businesses know that if you act like a billboard, people treat you like one—flat, forgettable, and easy to ignore.
The fast-food chain Wendy’s has an infamous Twitter/X page where they tease competitors and joke with people who reply, and they've been doing this for years. I’m not saying your campaign should behave like Wendy’s, but it has no doubt sold them a few hamburgers. Campaigns ought to retire the old media playbook and embrace new social media strategies. There’s a reason it works. Personality sells, and politics is personal.
Old media playbooks won’t win modern campaigns. Two-way platforms demand two-way presence. If your content is engaging enough to garner a few likes and comments, it shouldn’t stop there. Those likes and comments are voters, and not only can you analyze the sentiment in their comments and messages, but sites like Facebook and Instagram give you a direct line of communication with them, too. As will be discussed, this is how social media can be used for message testing and GOTV.
The Opportunity: Social Media as an All-In-One Tool for Campaigns
"Despite all of this, many campaigns still post and disappear. They ignore the DMs and comments that could be converted into real-world support."
Done right, social media isn’t just posting. It persuades, tracks, and mobilizes. Social media can turn from a digital flyer to an all-in-one voter identification, sentiment analysis, and GOTV tool. We specialize in implementing these digital strategies and more.
Segmentation is social media’s largest advantage as a marketing tool, but it is only the first step. After you have pushed relevant content to certain audiences, the engagement from those groups can guide sentiment analysis and GOTV efforts. Instead of having bots and people outside of the constituency driving the engagement on a post, geo-locked and targeted ads provide more useful data. Digital marketing isn’t just content pushed to the right people–it’s content with a job to do.
Social media has another advantage compared to other forms of media: the ability for two-way communication. For example, if someone is driving in their car and likes your radio ad, you may only find out after they’ve gotten a sign and mentioned it to a volunteer, or after you bump into them at the grocery store. But if someone on social media likes or comments on your post, you now have a direct channel of communication with a voter. Every reaction, share, and DM is a digital knock on the door. Integrating users on Facebook and Instagram with voter profiles (along with addresses and phone numbers) could revolutionize voter identification and outreach.
Other Social Media Tips for Your Campaign
In addition to two-way communication, here are a few more strategies to think about.
A content calendar can ease the stress of posting everyday and ensure that every post has a purpose and a meaning–and not just filler for the day. Engaging content performs better in the algorithm, and with a purpose behind each post a campaign can test messages and analyze the sentiment. We use reliable tools to perform sentiment analysis and cater messaging for our clients.
Different content formats can achieve different goals.
Stories: Deleted after 24 hours, great for showcasing posts.
Reels: High reach, high engagement—ideal for pushing messages through video.
Posts: Anchor of the page—though often misused like a flyer.
Despite all of this, many campaigns still post and disappear. They ignore the DMs and comments that could be converted into real-world support, and posts are more like newspaper clippings than a call to engage with the content. We can help your campaign break this cycle.
Our Expertise at Rogue Advantage
These strategies aren’t industry standard for a reason: they take time, skill, and precision. That’s what Rogue Advantage delivers.
Rogue Advantage gives your campaign the digital edge to win. Unlike traditional agencies, we bring private-sector expertise, AI-driven insights, and real-time strategy without the bloated costs.
When it comes to having a digital advantage and winning, the numbers speak for themselves.
15 custom-built political websites launched.
230,000+ engaged voters through precisely targeted ads.
83% of our retained clients won their elections.
What We Offer
Election Cycle | Between Elections |
Voter Identification & GOTV • Build voter lists using data from targeted messaging • Integrate social media profiles with existing voter profiles • Deliver targeted turnout messages to identified supporters Election Digital Strategy • Integrated campaign messaging • Competitor & issue tracking • Weekly reports & voter insights • 24/7 crisis response Social & Media Listening • AI-powered monitoring of voter sentiment • Track opposition attacks before they escalate • Data-driven insights to refine campaign strategy Political Ad Strategy & Execution • Facebook, Instagram, Google, and more • Precision targeting by geography & demographics • Real-time ad performance adjustments
| Social Media Growth & Strategy • Expand your audience & influence • Competitor monitoring & strategic content planning • Bi-monthly engagement & analytics Website Development & Security • Custom-built campaign sites optimized for voter engagement • SEO-friendly design to rank higher on Google • Donation platform & email list integration Social Media Training Course • Build platform skills on Facebook, Instagram, and Canva • Learn about effective copywriting, content planning & political storytelling • Includes digital GOTV, analytics, and best practices tailored for your campaign and constituency |
Get in touch with us today.
If your social media strategy ends with a post, you’re leaving votes on the table. We help you win online—before, during, and after election day.
Wade MacCallum, Founder
Email: wade@rogueconsultingco.com
Phone: (902) 401-9775
About Jaegar Laird
Jaegar is passionate about politics, communications, and strategy. He has worked as a Page in the Nova Scotia Legislature and as a Political Assistant to an MLA, gaining firsthand insight into politics and government. He's been a key member of campaign teams where he has implemented digital strategies, crafted targeted ad campaigns, and pushed a winning message. Jaegar studies Economics and Political Science at Dalhousie University. In his spare time he enjoys photography, and playing guitar, bass, and drums.
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