I. Metshin: “Social networks are changing faster than the seasons, so it is important to stay at the forefront”

(KZN.RU, May 6). The project “Live in Kazan: Kazan City Hall in Social Media” (Origin. #ZhivuvKazani: Meriya Kazani v Socialnykh Media) has taken the first place in the open international contest “Press Service of the Year” in the nomination “PR in Social Media”. Dilyara Nurieva, the director of Kazan City Community Center, said this at the Business Monday today. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, noted that social networks and the official city portal allow establishing feedback with citizens and jointly solve various issues in various fields. “It is important to continue working and be at the time. Social networks are changing faster than the seasons, so it is important to stay at the forefront”, he marked.

The contest “Press Service of the Year” has been held since 2008. This year, 524 applications from PR agencies, press services, PR departments and independent specialists from different cities of Russia, as well as from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, were submitted to the competition. The three leaders in each of the 15 nominations were determined in the framework of closed voting by an expert jury. The nomination “PR in social media” evaluated originality and regularity of filling, design of accounts and communication with subscribers of the page. The Winners Award Ceremony took place in Moscow

“The project, the work on which is carried out by the Kazan City Community Center, was highly appreciated at the federal level by leading experts in this field”, noted D. Nurieva. “Commercial production companies claimed the victory in this nomination along with the Kazan City Hall. Also, there were applications from the Ugra Government, the Ministry of Education of the RF, the Moscow City Council, and other projects at the regional level.”

The Kazan City Hall is represented in all major social networks since 2016: VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, reminded the director of the Center. According to the speaker, such a broad presence helps to communicate with residents on those sites where it is convenient for them. Also, it allows informing about significant urban events widely as possible, to receive feedback and respond to the appeals of citizens.

“We are grateful to the experts for their appreciation, but the main indicator is the trust of the residents”, said D.Nurieva. “Over 95000 Kazan citizens have already signed up for the verified public VKontakte. The work will continue. On our websites, you can always find important news, get answers to current questions and learn about interesting city projects”.

One of the latest projects is dedicated to the action “Immortal Regiment”, she added. Residents of the city, who will take to the streets of Kazan with portraits of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, share stories about their exploits. They will soon be published in the social networks of the City Hall and on the portal KZN.RU.

Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, noted that social networks and the official city portal allow establishing feedback with citizens and jointly solve various issues in various fields such as business, housing, transport reforms and other areas. “Today our city is like a cauldron boiling with various cultural, sporting, economic events. It is important that we have a communication channel with our population. This is a platform where we exchange opinions”, said I. Metshin. “Life is never easy. There are issues, and our portal allows citizens with a few clicks to find a way to solve a particular issue so that a person does not remain alone with his problem”.

The Mayor urged citizens to subscribe to the social networks of the Kazan City Hall. He noted that thanks to this, citizens will be able to quickly get answers to their questions and track important news about city life.

Last year, the official accounts of the Kazan City Hall in social media were honored with the Tagline Awards. This is the highest Russian award for interactive projects and achievements in the digital sphere, added D. Nurieva.