An important reason for many parties to venture into TikTok, in addition to campaigning on the streets, is that they saw during the House of Representatives elections that it can work. D66 in particular was very active on the platform and eventually became the largest.
“Rob Jetten owes a lot to it. That is also the reason we do it,” says Mireille Sampimon-Ssembatya.
Yet such a strategy is not a silver lining, thinks Anne Graumans, director of Knowledge Point Local Political Parties. “It has to feel good. If it doesn’t suit you, you have to campaign in a different way.”
The Knowledge Point supports local parties with training for council members. They are also about campaigning. For example, there were workshops on how to communicate in a TikTok way, with short videos.
“But we never said: go on TikTok. Because all research shows that 1-on-1 contact works best. It is the most effective way to get people to the polls in local elections,” says Graumans.
Yet she also sees that social media can be a means to show yourself to a new audience. Some videos from municipal parties become almost viral and are forwarded thousands of times. Graumans: “Sure. But would it also be a reason to vote for someone?”
“That is of course the question,” agrees new TikTokker Mireille Sampimon-Ssembatya. “My children find it very embarrassing that I am on TikTok. But hardly a day goes by that someone does not say something about the videos. I get a lot of nice reactions.”
