BALLINGALL: Carney and Freeland don't stand a chance if social media not a priority
Without a strong social media presence, the Liberal candidates risk fading into irrelevance before the race even properly begins
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Despite what many in Ottawa believe, if you ask someone in line at your local Tim Hortons who Mark Carney is, odds are they wouldn’t have much of an answer.
And despite her slightly higher profile, the same goes for Chrystia Freeland. That’s a significant problem for the two frontrunners aiming to lead the Liberal Party of Canada – and, briefly, the country as prime minister – before an election is called.
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Social media has become the primary arena where cultural relevance and political influence is won, but both Carney and Freeland are nearly invisible online, leaving them ill-equipped to rally the much-needed support of Canadians.
Justin Trudeau, for all his faults, knew very well how to leverage his celebrity status on social media. With 4.3 million followers on Instagram, 8.5 million on Facebook and 6.6 million on X, he transformed his looks, family pedigree and appearances on glossy magazine covers into a glamorous brand.
Pierre Poilievre, however, has taken this to a whole new level. With 1 million followers on Instagram, 793,000 on Facebook, and 1.3 million on X, Poilievre has become a viral sensation without even taking his seat in the Prime Minister’s Office.
His 2022 Conservative leadership campaign launch featured a direct-to-camera, emotive, inspirational video posted to social media, setting the tone for his eventual digital-first stewardship of the party. Since then, he’s sharpened his approach with a constant stream of content disparaging Trudeau and the NDP-Liberal government.
When examining their combined followings on Meta (Instagram and Facebook), the Conservatives lead with 566,000 followers compared to the Liberals’ 515,000. This gap underscores the advantage Poilievre brings not only as a personal social media juggernaut but also with a powerful party apparatus to back him up.
All the while, Freeland and Carney are struggling to keep up in the digital arms race against the Conservatives, with their online presence falling woefully short of what’s needed to compete against Poilievre.
Carney’s Instagram limps along with just 3,468 followers, his X account sits at 69,800, and his Facebook presence is a confusing mess – two unverified accounts, one updated recently with a new profile photo of Carney holding a British five-pound note, and the other abandoned since 2020.
Freeland’s numbers are only slightly better, with 54,100 followers on Instagram, 354,800 on X and 66,000 on Facebook.
On top of this, after nine years of Trudeau, the Liberal base is highly demoralized. This will leave Carney or Freeland with the daunting task of rebuilding enthusiasm within the party, and neither has shown the necessary instinct to connect with Canadians online.
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Carney’s decision to tease his candidacy on The Daily Show – an American program long past its prime – highlights case-in-point just how out of touch he is.
To his credit, Carney’s appearance received over one million views within a day of being uploaded to YouTube, and he was praised by some for his “smart” and “affable” performance, which heavily contrasts against the scripted appearances and tendencies of the current prime minister.
But a successful social media game isn’t about one single performance.
While Pierre Poilievre has been on a non-stop, three-year campaign of repeating the same messages – axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, stop the crime – Carney complemented his Jon Stewart appearance with an awkward skating photo beforehand and zero follow-up posts afterwards.
If figures like Carney and Freeland are having trouble keeping up with the Conservatives on social media now, it’s unlikely that becoming party leader will close that gap just given the massive chasm on resources separating the two parties. Between July and September 2024, the Conservatives raised a staggering $8.5 million compared to the Liberals’ $3.3 million.
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And the gap in digital advertising is just as stark – between Jan. 5 through Jan. 11, 2025, the Conservatives spent $46,481 on Meta ads, while the Liberals spent only $14,190. This financial dominance allows Poilievre to sustain his aggressive digital advertising campaigns, remaining top of mind for voters every time they use their cellphone.
Making matters even more dismal, through a drumbeat of social media posts, Poilievre has framed Liberal leadership candidates as “Just like Justin,” attempting to pin them to his highly unpopular legacy of tax hikes, irresponsible immigration and a cost of living crisis. And it’s working, positioning Poilievre as the candidate of change while making the Liberal hopefuls’ task of building a parade of support even more difficult.
Poilievre’s mastery of digital platforms keeps him front and centre at all times, allowing him to define both himself and his opponents.
To even stand a chance, Carney and Freeland must make social media one of their top priorities. Because without it, they risk fading into irrelevance before the race even properly begins – a political death sentence in a world where social media trends decide who wins elections.
– Jeff Ballingall is the president of Mobilize Media Group, a digital public affairs firm that helps shape the strategies of leading Conservative politicians and corporate leaders
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