Donald Trump has named digital specialist Brad Parscale as manager of his 2020 presidential re-election campaign in signal that the President could lean even more heavily on social media over the next three years.

While Mr Trump has previously indicated he would seek re-election, the hiring of a campaign manager this far out from the campaign is considered highly unusual.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Trump campaign said it planned to use Mr Parscale’s talent to help Republicans in the 2018 congressional elections in November as they try to hold on to control of the US Congress.

Mr Parscale never worked in politics before joining the Trump campaign in 2015, CNN reported, saying he knew Mr Trump and his family from working for the Trump Organisation for several years designing websites and helping develop digital strategy for Trump businesses.

President Trump, 71, had already signalled plans to run for re-election, filing a letter of intent with the Federal Election Commission on January 20, 2017, the day he took office.

He frequently relives his improbable 2016 victory in speeches and interviews.

Mr Parscale, 42, based in San Antonio, Texas, was the Trump campaign’s digital director in 2016 and had performed digital duties for Mr Trump’s businesses, the Trump Organisation, before the campaign.

The campaign statement included supportive statements from Mr Trump’s son, Eric Trump, and son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

“Brad is an amazing talent and was pivotal to our success in 2016. He has our family’s complete trust and is the perfect person to be at the helm of the campaign,” Eric Trump said.

Mr Kushner, said that Mr Parscale was “essential in bringing a disciplined technology and data-driven approach to the 2016 campaign.”

Typically, the party in control of the White House loses seats in the first election after a new president takes over.

In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday, Mr Trump urged conservative activists not to be complacent in 2018.

“We have to get out there and we have to fight in ’18 like never before,” he said.

-With AAP