Practical Dimensions of Using Social Networks as an Instrument in Conducting Presidential Election Campaign: Foreign and Ukrainian Experience

The paper deals with practical dimension of using social networks as efficient tool during presidential election campaign running. The research is focused on world and Ukrainian experience of using social networks as an instrument of political influence. Analysis is based on world and Ukrainian experience and helped to trace evolution of this process. Modern influence of social networks on election campaigning as a mean to achieve certain goals is set out. The research has allowed to make conclusion that social networks during presidential campaign perform such functions: informational, it means it send information on politicians and political parties; communication because it provide contact with voters; advertising, or sharing of political advertising, searching of focus auditorium; image one, because social networks help to build public opinion on candidate’ reputation. As well social networks are the means to involve voters into protest actions, to encourage them to participate in sociological surveys, to make a control over election campaign running. The main advantages of social networks using during election campaign are that the process of sending information via social networks is comparatively easy and fast, feedback could operatively obtain, financial costs spent to work with social networks are low. It means that today social networks are very important instruments in state power struggle.