The role of social media in fostering organization-public relationships in Kenya

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how public relations (PR) and public affairs professionals in Kenya use social media to foster trust-based relationships and enact control mutuality with their publics. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes in-depth interviews with 21 senior practitioners across diverse sectors, including consulting agencies, multinational corporations and government bodies, to explore how social media is strategically employed to build trust and engage stakeholders. Findings The findings reveal that practitioners perceive social media as crucial for building trust-based relationships and democratizing communication, thus balancing power dynamics between organizations and their publics. Practitioners strategically use different social media platforms tailored to specific goals, though a gap in advanced analytics proficiency was noted. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on Kenyan practitioners, and the results may not be generalizable to the entire country or other regions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, it provides valuable insights into the evolving digital landscape in Kenya and its implications for global PR practices. Practical implications The study underscores the need for advanced training in social media analytics among Kenyan practitioners. It also highlights the strategic importance of understanding platform-specific functionalities to optimize stakeholder engagement. Originality/value This research contributes to the organization-public relationships literature by demonstrating the role of social media in enacting control mutuality, balancing power dynamics and building trusting relationships within the Kenyan context. It also offers practical insights into the strategic use of social media in a rapidly digitalizing environment in SSA.