SOCIAL NETWORKS AS PLATFORMS FOR COMMUNICATION ACTIVITY OF PUBLISHERS

This article examines the current state of social media usage as a platform for interaction between publishers and their readership. It confirms the continued significance of these platforms in maintaining business communication activity amid digital transformation. The study identifies key challenges that hinder the effective use of social networks in publishing. To assess the level of academic discourse on this topic, an analysis of contemporary research has been conducted, highlighting social media as a space for establishing effective communication strategies and a marketing tool for the publishing industry. The study aims to systematise and critically analyse approaches to utilising social media in the publishing sector to determine their relevance at the current stage. To achieve this objective, information search, comparison, generalisation, analysis, and monitoring methods were applied. The research was conducted in four stages. The first stage, based on data obtained from official web resources, identified which social platforms are used by Ukrainian publishers. The second stage involved a general monitoring of social media functionality according to pre-defined criteria. The analysis was carried out by examining the activity of accounts belonging to twenty leading Ukrainian publishers on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok. In the third stage, the main problems that publishers faced in the process of working with social networks were identified, systematised, and outlined. These challenges include algorithmic technical limitations, organisational and operational difficulties, content-related issues, competitive factors, and audience engagement challenges. The analysis confirms that social media remains a promising tool for communication within the publishing industry. However, effective utilisation requires strategic planning and continuous adaptation to platform algorithm changes. The effectiveness of communication strategies depends on the level of interactivity, the use of viral content, and collaboration with book bloggers.