Digital Political Identity and Social Media Presence: Female Mayors of Provincial Capitals in Spain

Abstract

This article examines the construction of the digital identity of female mayors of provincial capitals in Spain during the 2023-2027 legislative term, with the aim of identifying their strategies of self-presentation, communicative styles, and interactional dynamics in digital environments. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of their active profiles on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. The findings reveal that publication frequency does not necessarily result in greater impact, and that digital identity construction is shaped by the interplay of generational, partisan, and platform-specific variables. Generationally, younger mayors tend to rely on visual and biographical resources, whereas older ones consolidate more stable digital communities. From a partisan perspective, members of the Popular Party adopt a more institutional and technical style, while those of the Socialist Party favor biographical and emotionally oriented approaches. Platform logics are also decisive: X retains its centrality as a channel for political dissemination, Instagram concentrates the highest levels of interaction, and TikTok remains an experimental arena for political communication in municipal governance. In conclusion, the study indicates that the digital identity of female mayors is articulated as a flexible and adaptive assemblage, combining practices of institutional authority with strategies of personalization and proximity.