Are you there? In search of a quality engagement on internet between international development organizations and their social media audience through dialogue and active participation

Sammanfattning: Social media have become one of the most important tools for international development organizations when it comes to spreading their message and reach a greater number of followers around the world. However, the connection between the users and the organization is mainly based on one-click basic interactions which does not guarantee a strong commitment. The goal of this study is to check whether initiating a dialogue with users increases participation. We want to observe if there are noticeable improvements in the engagement that justifies a more frequent use of the conversation with the subscribers within the social media channels of the organization. We will analyse the work of UNESCO, the United Nations' specialized agency for education, science and culture. We have worked from within on the social media campaigns analysed.This research uses a mixed method combining quantitative results, such as statistical analysis, and qualitative results through content analysis and interviews with six experts in the management of social media. The Social Media Engagement Theory by Di Gangi and Wasko will provide the theoretical framework for this work.