US Election Insight: Al Jazeera’s User-Driven Digital Engagement

During the 2024 US election cycle, Al Jazeera’s Digital Newsroom focused on intensifying engagement with Arab audiences in both the MENA region and the United States by amplifying user-generated content. Faced with the challenge of making serious US electoral politics resonate with audience interests, Platform X was chosen for its exceptional interactive capabilities. The strategy centered around the innovative use of the hashtag “#الجزيرة_أمريكا24” which became the campaign’s focal point, sparking dynamic discussions and generating a high volume of user-created content.

Campaign Objective

• Encourage User-Generated Content: Motivate viewers to create and share their content using the hashtag “#الجزيرة_أمريكا24,” amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact.
• Enhance Awareness: Increase visibility of Al Jazeera’s comprehensive coverage of the US elections among Arab viewers.
• Extend Reach: Extend Reach: Expand the audience base and connect meaningfully with the Arab diaspora across diverse demographics in the US.
• Inform and Educate: Keep the Arab audience continually updated about the US election process and address issues of relevance to them that intersect with US interests.
• Boost Viewership: Elevate the audience numbers for our original content and shows, enhancing viewer retention and attracting new audiences.

Strategy & Execution

• Brand Distinction Through Hashmoji: A distinctive Hashmoji — a blue and red star reflecting the campaign’s visual identity — was introduced. This was linked to a bespoke hashtag, ensuring all election-related content was immediately identifiable and engaging..
• Interactive Conversational Cards: These cards were instrumental in sparking discussions and encouraging user-generated content. Designed with compelling visuals and questions, they facilitated dialogue and motivated viewers to share their own insights and perspectives, linking US political developments directly to concerns relevant to the Arab region.
• Strategic Ad Campaigns: Targeted advertising campaigns promoted the conversational cards and original content, effectively expanding reach within the MENA region and the US. This approach not only heightened engagement but also maximized the visibility of nuanced election coverage.

Keys to Success — UGC

1. Al Jazeera US election 2024 Hashmoji

The hashmoji was live for a month during the election coverage

A symbol of the campaign’s identity, mirroring the integration across Al Jazeera’s TV and digital platforms.

2. Audience as Part of the US Election Conversation

Engagement strategies were designed to integrate the audience directly into the US election discourse. By employing conversational cards that encouraged predictions about the election outcome, these strategies tapped into heightened interest and engagement, positioning audience participation as a central and defining element of the coverage.

Translation: Harris and Trump.. Who will be the next US president? Share your predictions with us on #الجزيرة_أمريكا24

3. Current Event Relevance

Conversational tweets were utilized to discuss the US election’s impact on pertinent issues, such as the war in Gaza and Lebanon. This approach ensured that the coverage remained highly relevant and well-integrated with the ongoing discourse, resonating deeply with audience concerns.

Translation: Between Harris and Trump, who would be more interested in dealing with the war on #Gaza and Lebanon? Share your predictions with us on #الجزيرة_أمريكا24

4. Deep Analytical Conversations

The conversational cards on international relations facilitated in-depth discussions, enabling audiences to actively participate in and contribute to nuanced analytical debates.

In your opinion, what is the most important foreign policy issue for the next US president? Share your predictions with us on #الجزيرة_أمريكا24

The Results

Success Story with X

Due to the impressive return on investment, X chose to document our experience and create a Success Story. You can read the full story at the following link:

Al Jazeera Digital Newsroom

User-generated engagement

Here are some examples of user-generated content created through the conversational card.

The conversational cards significantly boosted engagement throughout the period. We successfully generated tens of thousands of user-generated posts on X, actively involving them in discussions about the elections and their impact. The screenshot includes sample tweets captured via DataMinr. In total, there were 48K mentions within a month — an outstanding achievement for political news content related to an unrelated event.

Campaign Statistics & Results (One Month):

The campaign achieved outstanding outcomes, amassing over 100 million impressions that significantly amplified exposure and heightened awareness of the coverage. Viewership soared past 26 million views, accompanied by over 4 million engagements, reflecting a deep audience connection. The interactive aspect of the campaign was particularly successful, with more than 26,000 unique users — a good portion of whom were Arabs in the US — actively participating by posting over 48,000 tweets using the dedicated hashtag in just one month. This robust engagement underscores the campaign’s effectiveness in capturing and retaining audience interest, demonstrating strong reach and influence among key demographic groups.