Abstract:

The days of lightly praising social media as subpar knockoffs of traditional media are long over. The days when social media was thought to be only a cutting-edge platform for casual socializing and slander, useful exclusively for young people and subsequent generations, are long gone. Social media is becoming a vital tool for individuals to use in a variety of contexts and is seen as media-owned, controlled, and utilized by the people. This study looks at social media in Nigeria as a political marketing strategy. Grounded on the Three-Stage Model of Political Marketing and the Technological Determinism Theory, the study offers a contextual evaluation of the potential and constraints associated with the use of social media technologies in Nigeria's political marketing environment. The study used a descriptive and explanatory methodology and heavily relied on library research. It highlights the unique potential and constraints associated with using social media for political marketing in Nigeria. It also analyzes and specifically identifies eleven ways in which social media are and may be used for political marketing. It comes to the conclusion that there is a connection between the use of social media for political marketing and the backing, approval, and/or favoritism that a candidate, political party, or aspirant receives prior to, during, and following an election. Five pertinent recommendations are included at the end of the report to solve the issues that the study's problems revealed.