Ticino municipalities increasingly social: effective communication strategy or passing fad?

Lugano, Bellinzona, and Morcote municipalities have recently created a WhatsApp channel to communicate with their citizens. Alberto Bitonti, Professor at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), discussed the presence of municipalities on social media in an article published by La Domenica.

WhatsApp is not the first social media platform used by municipalities; in fact, institutions have long maintained profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. "It is natural for public authorities to engage with citizens where they are, especially in a constantly evolving multimedia landscape," explained Alberto Bitonti, who also pointed out, however, that not all channels are the same and that their attractiveness can change over time: "We must take into account that there are some channels that last over time and that the public is segmented and does not move homogeneously."

In fact, different platforms appeal to different audiences: Facebook is mainly popular with Millennials, Generation Z is more likely to use Instagram, the very young prefer TikTok, and YouTube remains an evergreen. Understanding these trends is essential for effective communication strategies, as explained by the USI professor: "To avoid mistakes, institutions must determine the best channels to reach their audiences. Instead of chasing the latest trends, they should have a strategy with clear communication objectives."

This also emphasises the importance of traditional communication methods, which are essential for reaching a significant portion of the population not active on social media: "The new channels cannot replace the old ones; rather, they require support and promotion from traditional methods to be effective. I would argue that, at a national level, a well-placed poster displayed in a public square can be more effective than many online campaigns," concluded Alberto Bitonti.