• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, September 15, 2015

After cheering political friends or jeering ideological foes, Twitter users can now instantly back up their convictions with cash.

With the help of mobile payment giant Square, the social giant is inviting U.S. users to make donations directly to candidates with a single Tweet.

The new feature has big implications for votes and campaigns alike, according to Jenna Golden, head of political advertising sales at Twitter.

“This is the fastest, easiest way to make an online donation, and the most effective way for campaigns to execute tailored digital fundraising, in real time,” Golden explains in a new blog post.

Once a campaign has been verified by Square, it can Tweet a unique URL, or $Cashtag, to request donations from supporters. The Tweet will automatically include an image with a “contribute” button, making it easy for anyone to click to donate directly through the Tweet.

When users see a Tweet containing a candidate’s $Cashtag and hit the “contribute” button, it will let them select a donation amount and add their debit card and FEC required information.

Contributors will then have the option to Tweet the candidate’s $Cashtag to their followers, or return to where you were in Twitter.

The move comes as digital channels are increasingly eating into TV’s share of political ad dollars.

Borrell Associates recently estimated that broadcast TV advertising will grow to $8.5 billion for the period July 2015 to November 2016 -- 52% of all political advertising dollars. In 2016 alone, broadcast will see $6 billion in political advertising, up from around the $5.75 billion level in 2012 -- the last presidential election year.

But next year and the following years, Borrell expects broadcast TV to be severely impacted, dropping to $2 billion in 2017 and then to just under $4 billion in 2018 -- down from just under $5 billion level in a comparable year, 2014.

By the next presidential election in 2020, broadcast is forecast to only hit $5 billion. In that year, Borrell estimates digital platforms will pull in around $3.5 billion.

Leading up the 2016 primaries and general elections, candidates’ campaigns can now sign up for an account through Square Cash by visiting cash.me, selecting “Business” account, and then emailing campaigns@squareup.com to notify Square of their registration.