Listening and Dialogue in NGO Social Media Strategies: Evidence from Spain and Chile

This study analyzes the presence of listening and dialogue in the social media strategies of 20 NGOs in Spain and Chile, exploring the tension between the organizations’ stated intention to engage in dialogue and their actual communication practices. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combined a quantitative analysis of 3,611 posts published on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X with 12 in-depth interviews with the organizations’ communications managers to assess institutional maturity, digital reach, and their influence on social dialogue. The results reveal a gap between what is stated and what is done: while the organizations claim to seek two-way communication, their practices are dominated by one-way messaging aimed at reinforcing institutional legitimacy and fundraising. Hashtag-based strategies predominate, with more dynamic formats in Spain – a trend driven primarily by the algorithmic requirements of each platform rather than by a listening strategy. The study concludes that formal listening systems are needed that go beyond tactical content management to ensure a lasting social impact.