GOP Debate Spotlights Social Media

Regardless of which candidate is elected president in 2016, it appears that the winner in next year's race will be social media.

On Thursday, the GOP early debate proved that politics is driving user engagement rates skyward for sites like Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) and Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR). While the last presidential election saw a shift toward advertising on social sites, this year's race has fully transitioned into an online battleground.

Facebook

The debate on Thursday was held by Fox News, which partnered with Facebook in order to give viewers a chance to get in on the action. Facebook comments were used as a way to gauge sentiment following the candidates' remarks and users were able to submit their own questions which could be considered for the event. As the most well-known and arguably most popular platform, Facebook is set to play a key role in future events on the campaign trail.

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Twitter

Twitter has been a favorite platform for political banter and Thursday's debate was no exception. #GOPDebate was trending all day as users quipped about candidates they love to hate and discussed the issues. The company recently released disappointing user numbers, but many believe that the presidential race will draw people back to the little blue bird. Twitter's newest offerings, like hashtag event pages, are expected to enhance users' experience by directing all relevant information to one, easy to access place.

Instagram

When Barack Obama made his way into the White House for a second term, Instagram was only beginning to catch on. Now, the photo-sharing phenomena is a must for presidential hopefuls with a social media strategy. Republican candidates posted behind the scenes photos as they prepared for Thursday's debate in an effort to make themselves more approachable and boost their online presence.

Snapchat

While Snapchat is still relatively new to the social media scene, the site's rapidly expanding user base means it will play a role in candidates' strategies. The site capitalized on its new "Live Story" option by offering users a glimpse into the debate through a montage of photos and videos.