Social media expectations between public relations professionals and their stakeholders: Results of the ComGap study in Spain

Despite the massive incorporation of social media into communication strategies, there is still much that we do not know about the type of content that stakeholders expect to receive and what conversations they wish to have with organizations. Numerous studies have demonstrated that an adequate use of digital media is essential to understanding and responding to the expectations of different audiences and to be able to improve the effectiveness of communication departments (Kent & Saffer, 2014; Linke & Zerfass, 2013; Moreno et al., 2015). Nonetheless, there are still relevant issues that have yet to be addressed in depth, such as the process of converting online audiences into active communicators, or what their expectations are with respect to digital interactions. This article compares the perspectives of public relations professionals against those of the general public in Spain with respect to the content that organizations should offer and what activities they should carry out in the context of social media. Our results show a gap in the perceptions and expectations of these two groups in both Spain and across Europe in order to open a discussion about whether communication professionals are effectively managing the tools at hand to create bonds and foster engagement with stakeholders.