Strategies of Interaction with the Audience of Belarusian Regional Media in Messengers

Regional media in Belarus, fighting for the audience's attention, are solving the issue of multiplatform distribution of content. Global platforms radically changed the strategies of content production and distribution and as well as audience engagement. Using the example of Telegram channels of 10 Belarusian regional newspapers with high subscriber numbers, we traced the dynamics of audience engagement strategies in the practice of local media on five quantitative and qualitative parameters. We surveyed 22 editors-in-chief of news organizations in 6 regions of Belarus and checked their Telegram accounts using a mixed approach. An opinion is expressed about the importance of building communication with the audience in the digital environment. According to the data obtained, the greatest involvement is caused by materials with an emotional component. The results of the study showed the increasing role of video content in attracting the audience.