Musk’s America PAC prioritises Facebook and Instagram over X in strategic ad campaign to support Trump

The PAC targets swing states, focusing particularly on Pennsylvania, aligning with Musk’s in-person campaign efforts.
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Elon Musk’s political action committee, America Pac, established to support former US President Donald Trump, reveals a strategic focus on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, with comparatively minimal attention to X, formerly Twitter, despite Musk’s ownership. Between July and October, America Pac allocated 3 million USD to Facebook and Instagram ads and 1.5 million USD to Google and YouTube, overshadowing the 201,000 USD spent on X.

America Pac’s advertisement strategy notably emphasises geographic targeting of pivotal swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, in particular, receives significant attention through both digital ad presence and Musk’s campaign efforts. Despite X generating around 32 million ad impressions, the precise impact on Facebook remains less clear due to Meta’s limited aggregate data, although individual ad engagement is notably high.

Offering financial incentives, Musk seeks to engage voters beyond conventional social media advertising. He has pledged daily 1 million USD giveaways until the election to encourage voter sign-ups for America Pac’s petition, further amplifying voter engagement through high-profile events in Pennsylvania.

Why does it matter?

Musk’s move suggests a tactical decision to leverage platforms with a broader reach and advanced targeting capabilities for their advertising efforts. Advertising remains a vital component of X’s revenue strategy. However, the multifaceted approach of focusing on other platforms reiterates America Pac’s deployment across platforms capable of maximum political influence, favouring well-established networks over Musk’s social media to optimise their outreach in swing electoral regions.