Assessing the Regional Influence of Government Accounts in the VKontakte Social Net

Regional authorities have public accounts in social nets. However, their digital presence in social media differs from region to region. The author tested different methodological approaches to assessing the impact of government accounts (VKontakte) on local communities. An algorithm of interrelated stages made it possible to assess the level of user engagement in the publications posted by the corresponding municipality, as well as to identify the factors behind the digital gaps across the country. It also revealed a correlation between the local population size and the digital activity in the region. The analysis yielded a set of recommendations for local governments that want to increase the digital involvement among the local citizens. The effect of various factors on the local digital involvement was measured using the multiple linear regression method. All calculations and statistical checks were performed in the R software equipped with lmtest, car and clubSandwich. The local digital involvement proved to correlate with the population size, the age of the account, the distance to the regional center and the average salary. The research also involved reference groups of municipalities and assessment criteria for the digital activity of regional and federal governments. The assessment methodology, applicable for ongoing and retrospective monitoring, may help to strategize the digital presence of local authorities, e.g., as part of regional digital transformation programs. The approach also may reveal areas with a high risk of information isolation where communication strategies and digital infrastructure have to be adjusted.