Abstract
This study reveals the role of social media tools and applications in disseminating information about COVID-19 in the COVID-19 process. While discussing the role of social media in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic process, it will be evaluated with the applications of different institutions. In the study, which will be considered from a public relations perspective in general, it is aimed to reveal a general perspective on the communication activities of the institutions with the target audience and their followers through social media practices. In this study, which is a compilation in this direction, the changing motivations of the followers and the role of social media in this process will be revealed.
TopIntroduction
The pandemic process and its effects, which started with the Covid-19 virus in the recent past, manifests itself in almost every field. The concept of quarantine draws attention as one of the most important requirements of the pandemic process. It can be said that people spending more time at home reveals many different elements in their life practices. At this point, communication is one of the most important needs. During people's stay at home, communication tools are important both in personal communication activities and in their desire to get information about the pandemic. The communication tools used in this communication process also appear with different roles and practices. Internet-based applications draw attention from these communication tools. Especially, social media tools and environments attract attention at the point of message dissemination, transmission and circulation of information. Studies conducted in the relevant field in the literature part of the study show that social media plays an active role in receiving and sharing information. In the pandemic process that started with the virus in question and is still continuing, there is a change in personal life practices as well as institutional practice practices. It is observed that there are motivation and behavioral changes in subjects such as obtaining and interpreting information, consumption motivation, content creation and sharing. The role of social media tools and environments in these changes cannot be denied.
In addition to personal practices, the role and reflections of social media in corporate communication processes draw attention. In this process, they use official social media accounts to convey information about the pandemic process in corporate brands. They provide information and social messages about the pandemic through social media. At this point, this study includes personal daily life practices that have changed with the pandemic and the messages of institutions. From this point on, the study is a compilation within the scope of this purpose. Especially in this process, the reflections of social media on personal and corporate communication processes are mentioned in the study, which includes the results of related research and literature information.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Corporate Brand: It can be called a name given to brands with corporate core values.
COVID-19: A virus that rapidy spreading and threated all of the people worldvide. Especially elderly immune compromise people.
Online Engagement: It can be defined as a process that takes place in online environments and expresses the mutually effective communication process.
Brand Engagement: It points to an effective communication process that institutions/brands have with their target audience/followers.
Brand Communication: It is the communication process that brands realize with their target audiences and include brand values.
Pandemic: It can be expressed as the general name given to epidemic diseases that spread and show their effects in a wide area in more than one country or continent in the world.
Consumption Motivation: It refers to the motivation of the target audience/followers to consume the product or service.
Social Media: It can be expressed as the communication medium: which is one of the internet-based applications. It is a communication environment where users can create content, share, and socialize without time and place limitations.