Bologna and Venice confirm themselves as the most “social” Italian cities, followed by Florence, which displaces the third step of the podium from Turin (fourth) and then Napoli, Pordenone, Rome, Cagliari, Genoa and Milan close the top ten.
This is highlighted by the survey by FPA, a company of the DIGITAL360 Group, on the use of social networks in 108 provincial capitals, which determined an index based on the presence, penetration rate, frequency of updating and production of content on 7 social networks. The survey provides a unique wealth of information on the evolution of the presence of social media in provincial capitals, thanks to a complete and annually updated survey. The social cities index, in fact, is one of the indicators of the annual FPA ranking of the most digital municipalities in Italy, the “ICity Rank” Report, the 2022 edition of which will be presented in full on November 29 at FORUM PA Città.
According to the research, Facebook is the most popular social network among Italian provincial capitals, present in 103 out of 108 municipalities, capable of attracting a total of 3,5 million followers, equal to a fifth of the population residing in the cities. YouTube is also very present (102 municipalities), but its management is not as homogeneous (only 70 cities have updated the channel in the last month). Instagram (present in 89 municipalities), Twitter (87) and Messenger (80) have been activated by three quarters of the administrations, while Linkedin (56) and Telegram (48) by about half.
“In the course of 2022, the vast majority of Italian provincial capitals are now present in an articulated way on social media but, after the constant expansion of recent years, a new phase of adjustment is evident, in which the use of social media has become part of the habits of Municipalities in an organic and differentiated way – comments Gianni Dominici, General Manager of FPA –. Through social media, today administrations are committed to developing strong, direct and continuous communication to their citizens, of true interaction, beyond simple information. The characteristics of diffusion and the dynamics of use, however, are different depending on the different platforms and the communication choices of individual Municipalities”.
Diffusion and use. There are 23 Municipalities out of 108 present on all seven social channels, another 60 that have activated at least five. But the geographical differences are clear: 82% of the provincial capitals in the Center and 81% in the North have at least five social networks, while the percentage drops to 69% among those in the South and Islands. In general, the larger Municipalities are more “social”: 9 of the top 10 in the ranking are metropolitan capitals, even if the sixth position of Pordenone stands out.
As we have also highlighted in previous editions of the research, presence is one thing, actual use is another. Facebook is the tool used with greater continuity, with 97 updates in the last month on 103 active profiles. There are fewer updates on YouTube channels (70 out of 102) and Instagram (69 out of 89), but above all on Twitter profiles (53 out of 87). In general, the insertion of content accelerated between the beginning of 2020 and spring 2021 and then stabilized, but the continuous growth of video uploads on YouTube channels, which are approaching 70.000, and Instagram posts, which are almost 100.000, is highlighted.
Facebook. The followers of the provincial capitals on Facebook continue to grow and reach 3,5 million, 230.000 more than in 2021. This social network confirms itself as a versatile tool, particularly effective in small communities, where it has become a real meeting place for citizens. In absolute terms, the demographically largest municipalities (Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Bologna) prevail in terms of number of followers. But in relative terms, the highest penetration rates are found in medium or small-sized cities, with Crotone in the lead (69,9 followers per 100 inhabitants), followed by Verbania (55,8), Rimini (54,7), Caserta (53,4) and Macerata (51,7).
Youtube. Like Facebook, Youtube is also present in almost all municipalities (102), but its management is not as homogeneous. In general, in the last year, subscribers have grown by 22%, more than other social media. The actual use and diffusion, however, are linked to the will and ability of the administrations, rather than to demographic or geographical variables. In terms of absolute number of subscribers, the big cities lead, with Naples and Genoa at the top, but the penetration rate ranking sees small-sized cities at the top such as Lodi (5,1 subscribers per 100 inhabitants), Pordenone (3,6) and Pavia (2,8%).
Instagram. Instagram has had a late but very lively diffusion: the administrations present have gone from 38 in 2017 to 89 in 2022, the followers have grown by 300.000 in the last 12 months, reaching almost 1,3 million (+ 20% compared to 2021). The majority of municipalities with an open profile feed it continuously. Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence and Genoa are the quantitatively most consistent realities, but those with the highest penetration rate are Mantua (30,8 followers per 100 inhabitants) and Bergamo (29).
Twitter. This social media clearly shows the transition to the adjustment phase we were talking about at the beginning: the administrations present (87) have been substantially stable since 2020, but the number of "ghost" profiles, not updated, is growing, as many as 26. The diffusion is concentrated: the four largest cities (Rome, Milan, Turin and Naples) lead the ranking of absolute follower values and cover 66,7% of the total followers. The penetration ranking is also led by a large city like Florence, with 28,5 followers per 100 inhabitants. Presumably, the demanding management of this social channel has led to a polarization: on the one hand the metropolitan capitals, which update their profile continuously, on the other smaller cities that after having approached the use of Twitter have essentially abandoned it.
Article published on November 17, 2022 - 07:55
Video Chronicles
