In 2026, most political persuasion isn’t happening on a public social media feed. Instead, it’s going on one layer deeper, inside the private group chats on iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and DMs where voters actually talk to people they already trust.
Lisa Schneegans wrote about this recently in her must-read Substack, The Relational Republican, with an article declaring “Group Chats Are The New Field Offices.” She points out that the relational networks operating inside these private chats now move opinion in a way that no campaign-controlled channel can. So how should campaigns operate in the group chat space?
Know The Platforms
Every platform in the group chat landscape is different, with its own etiquette and unique user base so it’s important to know the vibe before engaging. WhatsApp, for example, dominates immigrant and diaspora communities whereas X’s group chats are hotspots for political junkies.
The public social media feed is the audition for access to the group chats. The post that goes viral on X or the reel that blows up on Instagram is what gets shared into the group chats and launch the conversations that actually change minds and drive votes. And it’s happening behind closed doors.
Recruit A Network
You can’t be a part of every group chat – nor are you going to be invited – so you need supporters who can. Start by identifying your most engaged volunteers who are also already active in existing group chats and task them with being your campaign’s eyes, ears, and voice. You’ll need to feed them the content they need to engage.
This is the modern equivalent of the precinct captain model, except the precinct is an online community. Your individual supporters will always be far more credible than your campaign’s own account.
Be A Good Guest
As a candidate or campaign staff, you’ll also be invited into other people’s group chats. Treat those invitations the same as being invited into someone’s office or home.
The fastest way to get kicked out is to treat the chat as a one-way, broadcast channel by dropping in press releases or spamming your fundraising link without participating in the conversation that’s already happening. Contribute something useful before you ask for anything in return. Your behavior reflects on the individual supporter who invited you.
Drive The Right Actions
Not every call to action belongs in a group chat, but two that do are correcting the record and giving supporters something concrete to push back with. If a new attack ad drops or a misleading article is gaining traction, a well-timed, clearly sourced response from inside a friendly group chat travels further (with more credibility) than anything on your owned channels. Empower your supporters to help you.
Groups should be a point of invitation to your campaign – not fundraising. Asking for money instantly poisons the well in high trust environments like group chats. Nor do you want your supporters to turn into spammers, expecting them to share every post into their chats.
Conclusion
Voters have shifted their political conversations into private, high-trust spaces, and the campaigns that show up and engage appropriately in group chats will perform better than those leaning heavily on broadcast tactics. Your goal isn’t to control the group chat, but to make sure the right people, with the right information are already in there when the moment is right.