Social networking as a communication tool for public transport companies in voivodship cities

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the changes in the use and basic advantages of social networks in the communication of public transport companies in voivodship cities. Design/methodology/approach: The study carried out consisted of analysing the content of the official websites belonging to the selected public transport service companies in order to see how the information on the social networks used (location of plug-ins) is shared, and a review of the active profiles on these sites was carried out to diagnose what content is published. The survey was conducted in October 2023. The results were cross-referenced with the corresponding survey carried out in 2017. Findings: The survey showed that of the 24 companies analysed from 18 cities, 20 use at least one of the social networks. The most common is Facebook - 19 companies have a profile, followed by YouTube - 9, Instagram - 7 and Twitter 5. 2 companies have profiles on 4 sites at the same time, 4 on 3 sites, 11 have 3 official profiles on different social networks, another 7 companies have 2 each and also 7 have one each. In the case of 4 entities, no profiles were found on social networks. The content, frequency and timeliness of publications on the profiles vary. Research limitations/implications: Social networks that were less popular at the time of writing (e.g. TikTok - official profiles were identified in 2 cases among the companies surveyed) were not included in the study. The objectives of the communication strategies of the individual entities are not known. This may be part of further research through in-depth interviews with those responsible for promoting the companies. It may also be possible to extend the research to other operators (e.g. inter-municipal, railway, smaller cities, etc.) and among the target audiences of the communication activities in particular services. Practical implications: On the basis of the author's audit of the communication activities of public transport companies on social networks, this article suggests that the use of social media is an appropriate tactic in the communication of companies (including municipal companies), both in the promotional dimension externally and in communication with citizens - service users, due to the participatory, interactive and open nature of social media. Originality/value: The publication presents the results of research carried out on the basis of the author's audit of the activity of the public transport companies from the voivodship's cities in the social media. Keywords: social media, city marketing, public transport, public transport promotion, marketing communication. Category of the paper: Research paper.