Efficiency Analysis of Russian Regional Authorities on Social Networks

Abstract

Nowadays it is hardly possible to overestimate the role of digital technologies in the work of Russian politicians. One of the effective means that gives new opportunities for modern politicians is social media. The phenomenon of social media has no longer been just entertainment, it has become a powerful tool of influencing public opinion. If used properly social media can help both shape the image of a politician and increase the electorate trust and loyalty. Social networks appear to be the most accessible and popular type of social media for politicians. This article covers the topic of maintaining social network profiles by the heads of several Russian regions, moreover, the authors assess the impact on perception of politicians by the politically active population. To achieve this goal we conducted an analysis of the politician activity on the popular Russian social network VKontakte over a certain period using a special technical tool — a social media multi-factor monitoring and analyzing system developed by Russian company “Kribrum”. It contains various analysis methods, as well as linguo-semantic and psychological behavioral models. It was found that maintaining accounts on social networks contributes to the increase of public confidence in the authorities. However, the potential of this tool is not exploited to the full scale: in some cases, the heads of regions do not pay sufficient attention to maintaining their own pages on the Internet. They cannot cope with technical tools or ignore them, do not work with citizens through social networks, which eventually leads to the lack of credibility. In the modern conditions, with the federal government recognizing the importance of social media and taking into account transparency and public acknowledgement of regional authorities, the tendency towards intensifying work with citizens on virtual networks is likely to increase.