Federal Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre has more Twitter followers than former Conservative leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole combined, indicating his popularity with voters on social media. It also reveals he might finally be a Conservative leader who can form government.
O’Toole has 162.6k followers, while Scheer has 227.9k followers. Poilievre has 412.9K followers.
It’s increasingly vital for politicians, and anyone seeking relevance, to have a social media presence. Younger generations use social media as their primary source of information.
Poilievre is frequently praised for his captivating social media videos, which speak directly to issues facing Canadians, like the cost of living crisis and inflation.
Poilievre’s video announcing his bid to become the next Conservative leader — and eventually the Prime Minister — has been viewed almost five million times.
A video announcing his policy to end complex, bureaucratic wording in government publications has over 150,000 views and over 5,500 shares. A video about Justinflation has a similar reach.
A video about the cost of living crisis , and Justin Trudeau’s lack of understanding for regular Canadians, has nearly 400,000 views.
Recent videos posted by Trudeau have around 50,000 views for comparison.
Poilievre also has a sizeable YouTube subscriber count of 243k subscribers. His content directly impacts young people who are concerned for their future.
According to a recent poll produced by The Hub and Public Square Research and conducted with LEO, Leger’s online panel, young people are less optimistic about Canada’s future than older voters. About 74% of Canadians over 55 agree that “although times are tough, I am very hopeful for the future of Canada.” Just 57% of Canadians aged 18 to 34 agree.
The cost of living is the main issue for young people. A survey from Royalle LePage showed that 75% of first-time homebuyers in Toronto and 69% in Vancouver reported feeling worried they would not have a large enough down payment to purchase a home.
Social media research is not concrete evidence, but it proves that Poilievre has a far bigger reach than his predecessors, which will be necessary if he hopes to form government one day.
