Municipal Engagement on Facebook in Turkey Differences by Political Party, Region, and Size

Social network sites have changed the ways that all institutions, including municipalities, communicate and engage with their constituents. Also wanting to make use of their many advantages, municipalities use social media as an engagement tool. This study examines how municipalities in Turkey use their Facebook pages to engage with the public and how their engagement differs based on political party, region, and size. The descriptive results reveal that municipalities in Turkey only make use of half of the advantages offered by social media. Statistical analyses indicate there to be a significant difference by political party, geographical region, size of municipalities. One of the more significant findings of the study is that the more municipalities employ engagement strategies, the more followers on Facebook they attract. Moreover, metropolitan municipalities are more efficient at managing their Facebook page, sharing news links and press releases more often than other municipalities. Based on the findings, the study suggests that managing a Facebook page requires greater professional insight and public relations knowledge.