Now is the time for governments to embrace social media to encourage citizen engagement and participation. Since governments in the MENA region are starting to play a role in the events industry, it is crucial to use social media listening to better understand the community you are serving. For a governmental body to capture and maintain public support, the key is to always listen to the audience and pay attention to what they are saying. It is very likely that social media topics discussed will go beyond policymaking or the decision making process, people will also interact with events virtually using social media.
One of the worldwide events taking place this year is, Dubai Expo 2020 in the UAE to bring together different cultures into one place with a unified vision which is creating a future of sustainability, mobility, and opportunity. Social media is a key pillar in showcasing the details of the event and promoting the message. Moreover, participants are encouraged to share their experience online. All this is part of a social media strategy that is aligned with the audience behavior. Some of the benefits of Dubai Expo using social media are the following:
- Source of news information and updates
- Opportunity to connect with the audience
- Gather feedback in real time about the activities involved
Social media gives the space to remain authentic and transparent with your audience, which is a crucial element in connecting with them to build that earned trust. For a governmental body to capture and maintain public support, the key is to always listen to the audience and pay attention to what they are saying. There are many ongoing conversations on various social media channels that are worth tuning in. In this article, we put together five ways social media listening can be a significant tool for governments to improve their communications strategy.
1. Staying on top of trends
By tracking mentions of certain keywords or hashtags especially those in Arabic, you will be able to create content that resonates with the public. Finding relevant content to keep citizens engaged is primary for the success of every government. It is a good indicator of what the public wants to hear from you regarding a certain trending topic.
2. Managing your brand reputation
One of the key metrics to focus on while trying to understand your audience is sentiment, how the audience feel about certain policies or campaigns. If you do not pay attention to that, then you are missing plenty of opportunities to connect with your audience and gain their trust. Unlike other forms of media, social media gives a raw unfiltered outlook to public opinion. Conversations are happening online which makes it easier for governments to get a glimpse of what the public is looking for in their government.
3. Identifying engagement level
A government’s social media presence is not tied to selling a product or a specific service. However, they have very similar goals to a business which is to establish a strong social media presence and create engagement. It is beneficial in establishing a relationship of trust as you grow your online community. Social media can be sort of a public forum and a place for conversations between the government and their people. It is the place to encourage citizens to engage in conversations.
4. Real-time communication in a crisis
By using a social media listening tool, you have access to data in real time; it would be considered the most up to date source of information giving what you need to respond quickly when needed. Especially when you get notified and alerted with a mobile app too. It is a unique place to share a variety of opinions and issues coming from individuals and organizations. During a crisis, the government has the opportunity to speak directly to the public in a cost efficient manner.
5. Getting access to best practices
A number of governmental agencies and entities use social media listening to identify best practices implemented by similar agencies or even governments in other countries to better explore successful communication and marketing tactics that have proven to be effective with similar audiences.
Using the Crowd Analyzer tool, we can help you stay informed of the public opinion by monitoring social media conversations in various channels with a proven high accuracy in Arabic along with 176 other languages. Such information will help you understand what the audience needs and their expectations to implement the most effective communication strategy that would resonate with your target audience. Contact our data experts to know more about the tool can be customized to your needs.
