Digital Marketing

Public Sector Usage of Facebook in Abu Dhabi

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The use of social media has taken over all other modes of communication over the past few years. Although the use of social media for commercial purposes has been excessive, the public sector has been relatively slow in its uptake of this medium. It is only recently that governments and public sector entities are beginning to see its scope and usefulness.

With one of the highest mobile, internet, and social media penetration rates in the world, it is not surprising to note that the rate of usage for Facebook is increasing steadily in the UAE. According to statistics revealed by stats.ae, Facebook penetration rate in Abu Dhabi increased by 2.4% from December 2012 to May 2013, with total users increasing by 48.5%. The Emirate is reported to have the second largest contribution to the rise in total Facebook users in UAE for the same period, as shown in the figure below:

Although the statistics are impressive, they mainly represent the personal and commercial use of Facebook. Its use by the public sector still remains highly restricted, and only a handful of public sector entities are using Facebook as a communication tool. Among the most active UAEgovernmental Facebook users are the Abu Dhabi Police and various federal entities as depicted in the infographic below:

The Abu Dhabi eGovernment Gateway, Abu Dhabi Education Council, Statistics Center Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Municipality, and a several others have recently increased their Facebook presence as well. Notable upsurges in Facebook activity have resulted in success stories, such as the Abu Dhabi Education Council’swhich reported a 106% increase in its Facebook fan following over the past two years. Similarly, the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council reported a 163% risein their Facebook following.

Despite Facebook’s usefulness and multi-functionality, many public and semi-government entities are still struggling to incorporate this medium as a tool for mass communication. However, with social media penetration, numbers are continuously increasing, and with a strong support to adopt effective e-government strategies, we may soon see more public sector entities increase their Facebook activities.

How Can the Abu Dhabi Public Sector Use Facebook

With the UAE Vision 2030 in place, the use of social media, particularly Facebook, can considerably help in realizing the goals set out in the vision and sharing this vision with citizens and residents. As infrastructure andeconomic development continue at a fast rate, it will be important tofocuson enhancinggovernment communication and e-participation to reach out and keep UAE residents informed and involved.

Facebook in this regard can be used for various purposes:

• Customer Engagement and Brand Loyalty: Public sector organizations can use Facebook to improve their customer engagement and build brand loyalty among citizens and residents. This can be achieved by posting useful, engaging content that appeals to their audience and improves their brand position and reputation. Organizations can also post special offers, promotions, and share news and events with their followers to keep them updated and informed on latest developments.
• Crowd Sourcing: Facebook is a great platform for public sector organizations to solicit feedback and public opinion on a variety of subjects; including policies, government services, ideas and innovation, and much more. Crowdsourcing initiatives on Facebook can be used to better understand and analyze customer needs and sentiments,and gauge public opinion on important public agendas and policies, as well as generating and evaluating policies and services.
• Recruitment:More and more companies are conducting recruitment via Facebook. For example, Dubai Islamic Bank, and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bankpost job vacancies on their social media pages to attract candidates. Public sector entities can make similar use of their Facebook pages. Particularly, given the fact that the government is en route to generating more employment opportunities for Vision 2030 and the drive for Emiratisation, Facebook can prove to be a lucrative option for candidate search and recruitment.
• Online Transactions: Many companies have been using Facebook for online transactions for a long time now; the tourism industry in particular, has utilized thisto their advantage. Today, there are innumerable hotels and resorts that allow people to make online reservations via Facebook. Abu Dhabi, with its recent outlook of becomingan important tourist destination, can greatly benefit in the same way.

Facebook is no longer optional

From humble beginnings in 2004 as a small application limited to Harvard University students, to today’s behemoth social networking application for virtually the entire planet, Facebook is the primary social networking site of adults and businesses. Creating a professional-looking site on Facebook and using its powerful networking platform is no longer optional for businesses or government entitiesthat want to maintain a high profile brand reputation. With proper management, it is the perfect tool to advance an organization’s vision, mission, and goals for the public, not only locally, but throughout the world. Facebook is also where customers expect to find information concerning the activities and services provided by public or private enterprises. The power of Facebook to promote your business, no matter what that business is, whether for-profit, government, or NGO is virtually unlimited.

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