The role of social media in city branding: An application in TR33 region

In the process of becoming a brand city, cities naturally have to increase their awareness more. Especially in the tourism sector, internet environment and social media tools are used extensively to reveal the power of cities. Social media accounts of the cities are beneficial for the promotion of the city and facilitate tourism movements. The aim of this study is to reveal the roles of internet and social media tools in the city branding process in the light of the concepts of brand, branding, internet and social media. Cities can be managed like corporate brands with the motivation to attract more visitors and profitable investments, host more qualified workforce, protect and develop their values. For this reason, the role of the media cannot be ignored in the promotion of the city, which is a part of the management process of the city brand. The advances in technology, the rapid increase in internet usage rate and the interest in the use of online platforms lead city brands to use social media actively. Keywords: Brand, Social Media, Tr33 Region, Content Analysis, City Brand