Facebook is integrating a new feature into its service this week that lets advertisers target "political influencers," which refers to people who share content from political parties and view political ads and pages, according to Wired. Using this information, Facebook will determine users that are liberal or conservative in order to let them be targeted for political campaigns.
"People are more likely to trust information that their friends share," said Matt Idema, Facebook's vice president of monetization product marketing. "It is valuable for campaigns to reach people who frequently share political information on Facebook."
Although it is still unclear whether the tools will be exclusive to political candidates, the company has long sought to get politicians and lobbying groups to use its service to reach voters, according to Fast Company.
Despite this feature only making its appearance this week, using Facebook to advertise is not something new — with a bit of effort, campaigns can target ads to specific audiences and voters, according to NPR.
"This is our hub of communication," said Ken Dawson, who heads digital strategies for Ben Carson's presidential campaign. "We really see it as the heart of our campaign."
Carson's Facebook is testament to this — with more than four million followers, it features a constant stream of posts and videos that allows him to reach out and communicate with voters and potential supporters.
