Government entities are interested in utilizing Facebook too. In fact the share of government entities using it is quite high regardless of the entity, whether national, regional or local. Additionally, local cities are implementing their own social media strategies. For instance, as of March 2015, the city of Milan counted more than 40,000 Facebook likes, showing how social media can help ease communication between public authorities and citizens.
Associations, political parties and non-profit organizations also confirm using Facebook as a communication tool, with usage highest at 62.4 percent, followed by usage of Twitter and YouTube at over 40 percent respectively. Regarding companies, luxury good firms, IT firms and other big firms report to use more than one social media platform.
Social media is also a useful tool to increase customer fidelity, increase brand awareness and promote marketing campaigns. Respondents reported that they discovered the presence of brands on Snapchat via other social media channels. A good social media presence gives users the possibility to interact with brands and to expect exclusive content, previews and discounts. Overall, social media is a great tool to reach more customers and figures confirm this trend. In fact the number of social network users in Italy is expected to reach 26 millions by 2021.
