Electoral targeting strategies during the 2022 election in Sweden: exploring the paid affordances of Facebook and Instagram

Social media platforms have become central arenas for political communication, yet research has primarily focused on organic content rather than paid advertising. This study examines how Swedish political parties utilized Facebook and Instagram's paid affordances during the 2022 parliamentary election, analyzing a census sample (N = 2395) of ads from Meta's ad library. Combining content analysis with data on campaign spending and demographic targeting, the study identifies key differences in advertising strategies. We find that right-wing opposition parties engaged in more negative campaigning than left-wing incumbents, while calls to action were infrequent overall. The Center Party, the Sweden Democrats, and the Moderate Party emerged as the highest campaign spenders. Targeting strategies varied: left-leaning parties primarily targeted their messages toward women, whereas right-leaning parties focused on older male users. These findings contribute to the understanding of evolving party communication strategies, highlighting the role of paid social media advertising in contemporary election campaigns.