TikTok como herramienta de comunicación política: análisis estratégico del discurso viral de los partidos en España

The consolidation of social media has reshaped political communication strategies, compelling parties to adopt new languages and formats to connect with audiences—particularly younger ones. This study analyzes how Spain’s main non-separatist parliamentary parties (PP, PSOE, Sumar, and Vox) use the social network TikTok, focusing specifically on their appropriation of trends and viral videos. Through a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative content analysis of 1,299 videos published between January 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025 and qualitative interviews with the parties’ social media managers, the study identifies usage patterns, thematic strategies, and peaks in activity. The results show that Sumar and Vox are the parties that most actively integrate viral formats into their communication, albeit with differing approaches. A correlation is observed between increased posting activity and high-impact political events, such as the processing of the Amnesty Law—a topic of particular public interest in Spain during 2024. While the PP centers its strategy on a negative discourse targeting the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, PSOE and Sumar favor a predominantly positive tone. The study concludes that, although TikTok use in Spanish politics is growing, it remains an experimental field in which parties on the ideological extremes show greater adaptability to the platform’s native language.