Giovanni Arata conducted surveys of Italian public bodies on Twitter and Facebook. The surveys found that less than 200 local government Twitter accounts exist, though the number is growing. Most accounts are from smaller municipalities, while many large cities are not present. Most Twitter accounts only broadcast information and do not follow other accounts. Many Facebook accounts from public bodies lack basic identifying information. The document discusses open issues for public bodies in using social media, such as how to increase participation, improve digital literacy, sustain initial momentum, address offline problems online, and develop effective social media guidelines.

1. One step before the
GuideLines
Open Issues for Public Bodies on Social
Media
Giovanni Arata
Bologna Joint Seminar

2. Introduction
Defining organizational Guidelines [and
coping with organizational change] is by
no means desirable for Public Bodies
“going social” but…
…there are several Common Issues to be
dealt with before formalizing Guidelines
and/or redefining organizational
procedures
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

3. The #socialPA Project
Survey aimed at counting and analysing the
behaviour of Italian Public Bodies’”Antennas”on
Twitter and Facebook
Started on Fall 2010- first #twitterPA survey
released
[Current Status] Analysing field data about
Facebook Antennas + updating data about
Twitter
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/74875103/Twitter-PA-T3-2011-English-Version
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

5. #twitterPA: Main Findings #1
The accounts ascribable to Local Public Bodies and
Governmental Agencies in Italy are less than 200 [counting
for >0,01 of the overall national Twittersphere]
Athough the number of antennas continues to increase,
there’s no evidence for a “Twitter Boom” in the Public Sector
The majority of antennas belong to public bodies of limited
dimensions,while many large cities are still missing from the
list
Tweeting Districts are growing around the most active centres
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

6. #twitterPA: Main Findings #2
77% of the examined profiles utilize Twitter exclusively as a
broadcast medium; 20% of them don’t follow any external
account at all
36% of the antennas under observation can be considered
sleeping cells [no updates in the 30 days prior to the
survey] and yet another 20% of the sample are updated
with a nonchalant frequency
Twitter is prevalently used as an extension of the physical
office
Ghost accounts are making their appearance
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

7. #facebookPA: Preliminary Findings #1
1298 Public accounts have been found: Among them 609
Official Pages (47%), 166 Groups (13%) and 523 Profiles
(40%)
95% of the counted accounts belong to Municipalities, 4%
to Provinces, 1% to Regions
The overall number of Municipalities holding a Facebook
presence amounts to 1059 units (13% of the national total);
As to Provinces, 34,5% of them [38 units] are on
Facebook. 8 Regions [40%] have one or more]accounts
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

8. #facebookPA: Preliminary Findings #2
Public Bodies’ accounts on Facebook often lack the basic
information [e.g.: description, editors’ names, email and/or
physical address] necessary to disambiguate their identity
40% of the counted accounts are Profiles [some of them
private profiles]
Some 6% of the Municipalities hold multiple accounts
belonging to differing branches of the organization [e.g.:
Institutional account+Culture Department account]: in most
cases such accounts show no link nor operational coordination
with one another
Institutional accounts are oftentimes appropriated by elected
officials who use them to spread their political messages
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

9. Open Issue #1
Most Public Bodies in Italy
haven’t gone social yet.
How can we [should we?]
foster their migration to the
Social Realm?
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

10. Open Issue #2
Public Bodies online show- in
average- a limited
understanding of the syntax
and behavioral rules of the
Social domain. How can their
degree of Digital Literacy be
improved?
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

11. Open Issue #3
Once the “Wow effect” fades
away, most accounts are
quickly abandoned. How can
the initial momentum be
preserved and fostered?
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

12. Open Issue #4
Offline problems [e.g.: lack of
coordination among Departments,
rivalries] usually go online
together with their parent
organization. Can social platforms
help work them out?
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

13. Open Issue #5
Are Social Media
GuideLines a workable
solution for Public
Administrations?
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

14. Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012

15. Giovanni Arata
giovanni.arata@gmail.com
twitter.com/giovanni_arata
www.linkedin.com/in/giovanniarata3
Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/nessuno2001/
Giovanni Arata, Bologna, March 6th 2012