Beyond Pixels: How Instagram Shapes Candidate Images in Indonesia's 2024 Election

Abstract

This study offers a novel contribution to digital political marketing research by positioning voter attitudes as a central psychological mechanism linking social media content strategies to candidate image (CI) formation—a relationship that remains underexplored in existing literature. Drawing on data from 544 voters and analyzed using structural equation modeling, the study empirically examines how Instagram-based campaign elements (content quality, interaction, and message credibility) affect both voter attitudes and candidate perception. The results reveal that high-quality content and credible messaging significantly enhance CI via attitudinal pathways, whereas social media interaction shows negligible impact. These findings challenge the prevailing assumption that interactive features alone drive voter engagement, emphasizing instead the primacy of substance and credibility in digital campaigning. By uncovering this mediating process, the study advances theoretical understanding of political persuasion on social media and offers practical guidance for more effective campaign strategy design.