Local governments are increasingly utilizing social media to trigger citizens’ engagement. So far research has provided evidence regarding the way local governments use social media and the impact of various post elements on users’ engagement by focusing mainly on two platforms, Facebook and Twitter. Less is known about the communication practices of local governments on Instagram and their effects on users’ engagement. Perea et al. (2021) examined Instagram use by Andalusian local governments and found that this platform can be used as an alternative channel for low-cost advertising as well as an effective platform for the visual promotion of a city. In another study, Faber (2021) found that municipalities post messages regarding culture and leisure activities, taking advantage of the aesthetic nature of the platform. In addition, Gruzd et al. (2018) highlighted the” clicktivist” nature of Instagram that generates significantly more likes from citizens compared to other social media such as Twitter implying an advantage of Instagram for generating users’ reactions. It should also be noted that there is scarce evidence concerning the factor that influences users’ engagement with Instagram practices of local governments. A few related studies have shown that the different types of content generate differential degrees of users’ reactions (likes, comments). For example, cultural and promotional posts can increase the number of likes whereas posts about public works generate more comments. Understanding how the various types of content impact users’ engagement on Instagram are important for identifying the communication strategies that will be more effective in triggering users’ reactions. Thus, the present study will try to enrich the limited literature on the effective use of Instagram by local governments. Thus, the aim of this study is twofold. First, to identify the communication practices of Greek local governments on Instagram in terms of content type, dialogic communication, and post characteristics (e.g., usage of links, hashtags, emojis), and second to examine their impact on users’ engagement (i.e., likes, comments).
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