How the Federal Chancellor presents himself on social media

« Good Morning, Mr. President, » says a male voice while Donald Trump Enter the screen with a serious expression. Cut. The « Stars and Stripes » of the US flag blow in front of a blue sky. Cut. A smiling Friedrich Merz Remains out of a black SUV and eagerly shakes hands with the US President. Cut.

All of this happens in just seven seconds. Three short video sequences, cut together and underlaid with a bass-heavy hip-hop melody. They are the immediate entry into an Instagram video of the Federal Chancellor, that documents his visit to the White House. It was called 3.4 million times and even praised a few times: « Video editor did everything right, » writes a user. So did Friedrich Merz, the oldest Chancellor since Adenauer, play through social media?

A question-answer format should make the Chancellor look approaching

Call from an expert. Giulia Fioriti is a co -founder of the Mecoa agency, which specializes in political communication on social media. She explains: « If you want to achieve reach, you have to have an eye on how the platforms work and know strategies. » In short: what is seen on social media decide algorithms. And they like it when users use the different functions of the app as well as possible.

The fact that the Chancellor’s trip to the USA is underlaid with a melody is not only used for the mood of the video, as Fioriti knows: « The algorithms usually rate content better if they use a music track. » And because the chosen hip-hop sound is pleasantly surprised by the Instagram community, the @Bundeskanzler’s account can therefore score twice: the users leave numerous comments. « This beat, boy, » writes one, and is rewarded for his observation with over 6000 likes. The more people interact with a contribution, the higher the platform classifies its relevance. « And the greater the range is usually, » says Fioriti.

This is also an explanation that Merz ‘social media team reacts meticulously to comments. And not just with a fast emoji, but with a detailed answer. The expert also evaluates this procedure positively. Both from an algorithmic point of view and more democratic: « The social media is also about dialogue. And about the fact that the users feel seen and heard. » In addition to videos that present the Chancellor important and worldly, there is also such on his account: « Can you explain your hairstyle? » Asks a user. Merz obviously reads the request from a tablet. He is leaning back in a beige -colored armchair, his legs beaten on top of each other. His shoulders even twitch a little with his short introductory laugh. « Counter question, » he says with a view of the camera. « Is that a hairstyle? »

The question game is supposed to loosen up the account a bit, guess Giulia Fioriti. The format is likely to be a bit more spontaneous, it-like the French President, who « films in selfie mode in the office in selfie mode and chats something into the camera ». Nevertheless, it has an authentic effect on the expert. « They also do this strategically in order to place it as humorous and obvious to the younger target group. » On Instagram, on the other hand, people between the ages of 20 and late 30th on Tikkok, including the under 25 year olds, including many young people, « who are not yet at all at all ».

The Chancellor’s account follows around 2.4 million people. About half a million on Tikkok. Fioriti has not yet been able to recognize a differentiated strategy for the second. It is high time to deal with this platform: for political opinion formation of young people, social media are now a significant driver. And above all one party knows that.

Democratic parties have recaptured the digital space

The AfD is known to be successful on Tikok. The narrative that the right -wing extremist party is the most successful on social media, but does not apply, says Martin Fuchs, an expert in political communication. The democratic parties had overslept it for years to become active on Tikkok. « For a year and a half, however, it has been managed to recapture digital space. As far as ranges are concerned, the AfD has actually been left behind, » explains the expert. However, the right party has a decisive lead in a specific point.

According to Fuchs, follower numbers play an ever smaller role. « On the other hand, it is much more important who talks about me and how many people take up my content. » The AfD has built up a structure from influencers and other content manufacturers in recent yearsthat spread their political content on social media. There are approaches to other parties, but « the AfD is five to six years ahead ».