Using social media as corporate communication instrument: Comparative analysis of social media shares of state and foundation universities

New communication technologies provide opportunities for people and institutions to share all kinds of work with little cost. The popularity of social networks has increased, since it is the user-based, bring people together, can use real-time communication and increase interaction. In this context, social media platforms have become an important means of communicating corporate messages to the target audience. Universities where information is produced also use social media as an effective means of institutional communication in order to reach target groups and to publicize the services they produce. On the other hand, the increase in the number of state and foundation universities in recent years and the competition among them each day leads to studies that will provide universities with awareness. One of these activities is the use of social media platforms as a means of institutional communication. Institutions can easily manage all their work through social media. In this study, two samples were selected from state and foundation universities in order to investigate the purpose of use of social media in their institutional communication practice. The sample was analyzed by conducting content analysis, which is a qualitative research method, and by using the data of posts of Twitter and Instagram accounts, the most popular social networks of the universities, between June 1, 2017 and August 31, 2017 based on Grunig-Hunt's Public Relations Four Models. It has been shown how, how often and for what purposes universities use social media as a platform in the process of institutional communication practices, how often and for what purpose. According to the results, it was found that the rate of utilization of state and foundation universities from social platforms, which are low cost and unlimited, are different. It was observed that Biruni University, a foundation university, used social media more efficiently and frequently, since social medial provided two-way communication and had other advantages such as increased interaction. In this aspect, it can be concluded while foundation universities use Grunig-Hunt's Public Relations Four Models, state universities use Public Disclosure Model more efficiently. Universities use social media actively in order to advertisement, public disclosure, creation of institutional identity and communication with internal and external target groups.