Social media and the public sphere: Insights from the Makiling Botanic Gardens Facebook page in support of a more responsive management

Abstract

This study examined the social media engagement data of the Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) Facebook page as input for management improvement. Social media metrics were used to analyze MBG’s page engagement in the public sphere. The study summarized and profiled page data and post data to describe the interaction between the page and its users. Page data includes the number of page likes, demographics of page followers, sources of new page likes, and activity of page followers. Post data includes the number of posts, engagement of each post, the media content of posts, and post context. Findings from the study revealed that post contents affect user engagement while the number of posts uploaded in a day did not affect engagement. Most page engagements by the public were in the form of shares which increased the number of page followers. Despite this trend, it was observed that both page comments and likes were scarce. Visual media, particularly videos, were the most effective in encouraging page engagement. Thus, improvements in strategies are needed such as posting regularly about species to regulate engagement and uploading videos directly to the site. Furthermore, novel types and formats of content need to be explored to improve the variety and sustain the public's interest. Feedback from social media is a rich source of insights that can guide resource management because it reveals the public's expectations and preferences towards MBG. Managers can use these inputs in focusing on effective management activities that respond to the public’s needs.