Abstract:

Nowadays, we are witnessing that the traditional means of communication are slowly losing their importance, instead of that, the social media outlets that show themselves in digital environments and are everyday spreading are taking part in the lives of people. Social media environments are not only influenced by individuals but also by institutions, and they are seen as an important instrument in the development of corporate communication. In the promotion of the services of the municipalities, which are also the subject of our work and one of the closest institutions to the public, it is seen that they emphasize corporate communication in their work for reasons such as citizens’ demands, expectations, satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The expectations of the municipalities from corporate communication and the advantages that social media will provide in meeting these expectations are interconnected. In our study, the use of social media in corporate communications of 32 municipalities located in the Black Sea Region was studied by content analysis method. In this regard, the municipalities’ social media accounts have been shared between September 17 and October 16 2018. The results of the content analysis show that the municipalities are interested in the use of social media, and that they use social media in their corporate communications unilaterally in the same way as the traditional communications mechanisms. It is also clear that social media messages are only used by the municipalities toward external target audience, and in internal communication they are not exploited by these messages.

Abstract:

Today, instead of the traditional communication tools that have lost their importance, we are witnessing that the social media channels that are becoming widespread in digital environments and which are becoming more and more common every day take part in people's lives. Social media environments are effective in structuring not only individuals but also corporations and appear as an important tool in the development of corporate communication. It is seen that the municipalities, which are the subject of our study and one of the closest institutions to the public, give importance to corporate communication in their activities due to the demands, expectations, satisfaction or dissatisfaction of citizens. The expectations of the municipalities from corporate communication and the advantages of social media in meeting these expectations overlap. In our study, the use of social media in corporate communications of 32 municipalities in the Black Sea Region was examined by content analysis method. In this respect, the shares of municipalities in their social media accounts between 17 September and 16 October 2018 were analyzed. As a result of the content analysis, it is seen that municipalities show interest in the use of social media, and in their corporate communications, they use social media unilaterally similar to traditional communication channels. In addition, it is understood that social media channels are used by the municipalities only for the external target audience, and that these channels are not used for internal communication.

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