Welsh Labour Leads Social Media Ad Spending Ahead of Senedd Election
Welsh Labour has spent more than twice the amount of any other party on Facebook and Instagram advertisements during the month leading up to the forthcoming Senedd election, according to data.
Between 20 March and 18 April, the party invested £33,572 on Meta platforms, followed by Plaid Cymru with £15,360.
The Welsh Conservatives spent £7,448, Reform UK £3,831, the Welsh Liberal Democrats £959, and the Wales Green Party £182, based on Meta's figures.
Targeted Advertising Focused on Local Areas and Demographics
Many of the most-viewed adverts from these parties were specifically aimed at individual towns, constituencies, or even particular postcodes, the BBC found.
Facebook and Instagram, both operated by Meta, provide detailed data allowing for meaningful comparisons. In contrast, Google publishes some data, X does not share any, and TikTok prohibits political advertisements.
BBC Wales examined the spending by political parties that targeted Welsh audiences specifically.
The totals reported by Meta include expenditures by local branches and candidates, but only if their spending exceeded £100 within the month. Since many spent less, the actual figures for each party are likely higher.
The data also encompasses adverts run through party campaign pages; for example, the Liberal Democrats have promoted adverts via a page named Stop Reform UK.
These figures exclude spending on campaigns visible across the entire United Kingdom, which may also appear on social media feeds in Wales.
Smaller parties and independent candidates contesting various constituencies also invested in adverts.
Varied Advert Content and Strategic Targeting
The adverts ranged from critiques of rival parties and leaders to highlighting specific policies. Many focused on particular towns, constituencies, or postcodes.
Some adverts targeted specific demographics such as older or younger voters, or men and women, while local candidates used adverts to raise their profiles. Certain ads incorporated petitions and clickable links as calls to action.
Parties often ran multiple versions of the same advert, paying to serve them to different demographic groups.
Expert Insight on Political Advertising Trends
Dr Emma Connolly, from University College London's department of political science, who specializes in the dissemination of political narratives on social media, noted the growth in paid online advertising by political parties.
"When you use paid ads, you've got more control over thinking, okay, who are you going to target geographically? Are you going to target demographically? And you can kind of be a bit more specific about when you might do that in the election cycle."
BBC Wales Undercover Voter Project Observes Advert Exposure
Three of the six BBC Wales undercover voters have encountered adverts from political parties as part of a project monitoring what a group of fictional voters see online. These profiles are based on data from the National Centre for Social Research.
While the algorithmic feeds experienced by these undercover voters do not represent a complete picture of what real Welsh voters see online, their profiles have been designed to reflect a range of views and backgrounds within the electorate. BBC Wales will continue monitoring their feeds until the election to analyze the social media campaign's progression and share findings.
This approach provides a broad indication of the online content available, with undercover voters exposed to both official paid adverts from political parties and misinformation from independent pages.
Responses from Political Parties on Social Media Spending
BBC Wales contacted Welsh Labour, Plaid Cymru, Reform UK Wales, the Welsh Conservatives, the Welsh Liberal Democrats, and the Wales Green Party regarding their advertising expenditures.
Welsh Labour declined to comment.
A Plaid Cymru spokesperson stated that social media is a "vital, cost-effective way to connect directly with voters across Wales."
"More people, particularly, younger audiences consume news online,"
Reform UK Wales said,
"Only Reform can stop another Labour and Plaid coalition and deliver real change for Wales."
The Welsh Conservatives indicated they had allocated funds to leaflets and social media posts to promote their policies focused on "getting Wales working again."
