The institutional communication of universities on social networks: a study of activity and engagement during the COVID-19 crisis

Identifier:  imarina:9379060

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9379060

Authors:  Losada, Jose Carlos; Capriotti, Paul; Escolar, Marta Perez

Abstract:
Social media are critical tools for providing valuable information in crisis situations. Since the COVID-19 Social media are critical tools for providing valuable information during crisis situations. Health crises, in particular, are exceptional circumstances that intensify social uncertainty on a large scale and trigger negative emotions. Previous health crises, such as SARS (2002), H1N1 (2009), Avian Influenza H7N9 (2013), the Ebola virus (2014), and Zika (2016), have demonstrated that social networks are key in public health strategies to accurately disseminate information. For this reason, the WHO has emphasized the importance of digital communication in persuading the population to adopt measures to prevent the escalation of health crises and control epidemic outbreaks. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have utilized their official accounts on various social platforms to keep their strategic audiences informed. In this context, university social networks are configured as essential tools to foster interaction with their priority audiences. Interactive communication acts as a catalyst that enhances the interest of audiences (Gori et al., 2020) in consuming the content published by these institutions and in maintaining stronger connections with them. The dynamic nature of social media allows universities to promptly address public concerns, disseminate accurate information, and counteract misinformation, thereby playing a crucial role in public health communication strategies. The main objective of this study is to examine the level of activity and engagement generated by the content published by universities on their official Facebook and Twitter accounts concerning coronavirus-related topics since the COVID-19 outbreak. To achieve this, a content analysis was conducted on the institutional profiles of n=70 international reference universities (in Europe, USA, and Latin America) during the year 2021 to measure the level of interaction generated by these messages and compare them with non-COVID-19 related posts. This analysis seeks to identify patterns and differences in user engagement, providing insights into the effectiveness of university communication strategies during health crises. The primary results indicate no significant differences between COVID-19 related publications and non-COVID-19 related ones in terms of activity and engagement levels. Specifically, it was found that COVID-19 related content published by universities on their Facebook and Twitter accounts did not generate high levels of activity in any of the three geographical areas analyzed (United States, Europe, and Latin America). This finding suggests that merely addressing pandemic -related topics is insufficient to maintain high levels of audience engagement and that additional factors may influence the effectiveness of these communications. Therefore, it is suggested to reinforce visual content on Twitter and Facebook to enhance the activity levels of the content published by universities. Long paragraphs can disperse users' attention, especially considering that a significant group of users belong to younger generations accustomed to consuming emoticons, GIFs, short videos, and photographs on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Visual content, such as infographics, videos, and engaging images, can attract more attention and foster higher engagement among users, making the communication more effective. Additionally, it is recommended that communication professionals in university institutions receive training and specialization in developing effective communication strategies for social networks during crisis situations. To this end, these professionals should learn to integrate actions, measures, and protocols as outlined in the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) framework. This framework provides guidelines for effective communication during crises, emphasizing the need for timely, accurate, and transparent information to maintain public trust and mitigate the impact of the crisis. By implementing these strategies, universities can improve their social media engagement and ensure that their messages reach and resonate with their target audiences, ultimately contributing to better public health outcomes during crises.