Local self-government organizations are aware of the importance of presence on social networks and of active use of these. One of the most important advantages of using the social network is definitely the possibility of two-way communication with followers at any time and in a simple way. Consequently, organizations can also receive feedback that can serve them in their future work. Other advantage is also the possibility of the quick sharing of the important news and information among followers. Previous research shows that local self-government organizations use social networks with different purposes and strategies but mainly for one-way communication. This thesis presents the concept of Web 2.0, social networks and their history. Then the social network Facebook is presented in more detail, followed by trends in the use of the Internet and social networks as well as an overview of previous researches on the use of social networks in local governments. The guidelines for the successful and efficient use of the Facebook are also provided. In methodological part, a research on the use of social networks in Slovenian municipalities was conducted. In the first part of the research it was checked how many municipalities are present on the Facebook while in the second part, a more detailed analysis of the use of Facebook in three selected municipalities was carried out with the aim of determining whether the selected municipalities are taking advantage of the potential that the Facebook offers. The results show that the selected municipalities are aware of the potential of social networks, however the potentials are not being used in a sufficient extent. Social networks are mainly used for sharing information and news or for one-way communication. The diploma thesis provides an overview of the current state of use of the social network Facebook in Slovenian local self-government and can serve in planning the further use of the social network.
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