Digital communication strategies and citizen engagement in local government: evidence from a portuguese municipality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0231.48573Keywords:
digital communication; citizen engagement; local government; social media; InstagramAbstract
Introduction: The growing use of social media by local governments has transformed the way municipalities communicate with citizens, promote initiatives and seek to strengthen community participation. Among these platforms, Instagram has become particularly relevant because of its visual and interactive nature.
Objective: This study analyses how the digital communication strategies adopted by a Portuguese municipality influence citizen engagement on Instagram.
Methods: A mixed-methods case study was conducted. A total of 543 posts published on the municipality's official Instagram account between January 2024 and June 2025 were analysed. The analysis included performance metrics, content characteristics, formats, themes, hashtag use, and temporal patterns, complemented by a semi-structured interview with the municipality's Head of Communications and Marketing, which was thematically analysed using NVivo.
Results: The findings show that posts related to youth and education, events and municipal activities generated higher levels of engagement. Videos and carousel posts performed better than static images, while hashtags associated with local identity and specific initiatives proved relevant. The communication manager's perceptions confirmed the patterns identified through the Instagram metrics.
Conclusion: The effectiveness of municipal digital communication depends primarily on content relevance and format choice, rather than on posting frequency. A strategy centred on the community, local identity and more dynamic visual formats may contribute to strengthening citizen engagement.
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