The National Party has recently been splitting their social media content videos with political content and satisfying cake-cutting videos - but why?
Social media has changed the way many people get their information and it is increasingly being used by politicians to influence opinions.
Recently, several TikTok videos shared by the National Party have a split screen of political content, and the other half satisfying videos like cake cutting.
Victoria University internet, social media and politics research lab director Mona Krewel told AM it's not that "weird" for political parties to be doing this on social media.
"It's typical for the social media age, so the communication that the [political] parties get out there is a lot more informal and it's also funnier."
But Krewel warns political parties should tread the social media ground lightly with a mix of serious communication and lightheartedness.
One video posted on the National Party's TikTok page has leader Christopher Luxon speaking in the House about tax, while a video also played of odd cakes being cut.
"This is distracting a little bit from the topic that they actually want to talk about, which is tax, though it's pretty satisfying to watch that stuff and it will of course spread all over the internet."
She said this type of communication is successful, though warns this strategy can backfire. She told AM's Ryan Bridge it went wrong for US President Joe Biden when he began using the social media platform Snapchat.
"People were thinking, 'You are nearly an 80-year-old politician, you're on Snapchat? That's ridiculous,'" she said.
"[Parites] have to be careful where they communicate there because you could find yourself in the middle of a shitstorm on social media faster than you think."
Watch the full interview above for more.
