Estrategias de comunicación digital de las universidades en Facebook

Paul Capriotti Peri; Ileana Zeler; Andrea Oliveira

doi:10.5783/revrrpp.v15i30.912

Authors

Paul Capriotti Peri Universitat Rovira i Virgili https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9398-5886
Ileana Zeler Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5550-1000
Andrea Oliveira Universidad de Málaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1370-6139

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5783/revrrpp.v15i30.912

Keywords:

Digital Communication, Public Relations, Universities, social media, Facebook

Abstract

The literature regarding institutional communication on social media has demonstrated the potential of these digital platforms to strengthen relationships between organisations and their stakeholders. Social media not only expand access to information but also facilitate new forms of interaction and connection with users, thereby increasing their strategic value within institutional communication processes. In the case of universities, numerous studies have examined specific aspects of their digital presence, their content strategies, or the communicative resources employed. However, a gap remains in empirical research that examines in an integrated manner the different dimensions that shape universities’ digital communication strategies on social media, particularly Facebook. Most existing studies address these dimensions in a fragmented way, which limits a comprehensive understanding of how different communicative strategies relate to one another and to the levels of interaction generated. The main objective of this study is to identify the key dimensions of universities’ communication strategies on Facebook and to evaluate, in an integrated manner, the level of interaction achieved through their publication, interactivity, and content strategies. To do this, an analysis was conducted of 27,356 posts published on the institutional Facebook pages of universities in Latin America, Europe, and the United States over a six-month period. The study adopts a specific methodological approach that enables the classification of publication strategies (active/passive funnel), interactivity strategies (monologic/conversational), and content strategies (exclusive/dominant), as well as the measurement of the levels of engagement achieved. The results suggest that universities predominantly adopt a “passive funnel” publication strategy, characterised by a moderate or low volume of posts and a clear orientation towards self-generated content. Although regional differences are observed, with higher levels of activity in Latin America compared to Europe and the United States, the findings indicate that strategies oriented towards a lower frequency of publication tend to generate higher levels of interaction. This suggests that the quality and relevance of content prevail over the quantity of posts. In addition, universities mainly rely on “exclusive” or “dominant” content strategies, with relevant geographical variations. Regarding interactivity strategies, the findings indicate a predominance of “monologic” approaches, focused on informational dissemination and the use of expository resources. Furthermore, the integrated analysis reveals that most universities implement an overall “passive monologic” strategy on Facebook. Although this orientation diverges from normative models that promote dialogic communication, it proves to be effective in terms of interaction, highlighting that users prioritise the quality, usefulness, and innovation of the content disseminated. This study contributes to the academic field by proposing an integrative methodological model for analysing university communication on social media and offers relevant practical implications for the strategic management of Facebook, aimed at optimising engagement and strengthening relationships between universities and their stakeholders through coherent, planned communicative strategies aligned with users’ communicative expectations.

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Author Biographies

Paul Capriotti Peri, Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Full Professor of Public Relations and Corporate Communication in the Department of Communication Studies at Rovira i Virgili University. PhD in Communication from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. His main areas of research are: institutional communication, digital communication, and corporate reputation.

Ileana Zeler, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona

She is a Professor in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Audiovisual Communication at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She has published several articles in international scientific journals, and her research focuses on public relations, digital communication, and sustainability. She is a visiting professor at universities in Spain, Latin America, and Europe. She is also co-founder of the Académicas PR network and president of the Organizational and Strategic Communication Section (OSC) at the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).

Andrea Oliveira, Universidad de Málaga

Professor in the Department of Advertising and Audiovisual Communication at the University of Malaga (Spain). Previously, she worked as a researcher in the Serra Húnter International Excellence Program in the Department of Philology and Communication at the University of Girona. With several articles published in prestigious international journals, her research focuses on public relations, digital communication, strategic communication, and crisis communication. She has been a visiting professor at European and American universities, has more than 15 years of academic experience, and has participated in several research projects. She is co-founder of the AcadémicasPR network.

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