Driving Public Values through LinkedIn

Insights from the EU Digital & Tech Account

Abstract

As digital transformation progresses, platforms such as LinkedIn present unique opportunities for professional engagement in public governance and sustaining public values, yet their potential remains underexplored. This study analyses the communication practices of the EU Digital & Tech LinkedIn account – a channel for promoting Europe's digital transformation initiatives led by the European Commission. By analyzing 159 posts with their engagement metrics and user comments over a six-month period in 2024, we identified key patterns in content type, sentiment, and thematic focus. Informational posts dominate the account's feed, with an emphasis on topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data governance. These posts generate the highest interaction scores, reflecting LinkedIn's suitability for professional and policy-driven discussions and reinforcing the platform's value in generating thoughtful, substantive exchanges. LinkedIn is likely to promote public values such as transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration effectively when communication strategies prioritize detailed content and meaningful stakeholder interaction. However, the analysis also reveals missed opportunities for direct engagement, such as responding to user comments, posing open-ended questions, or leveraging other interactive features like polls or events, possibly allowing users to take on more active roles as prosumers. By embracing more participatory formats, public sector accounts could foster richer interaction and co-ownership of policy narratives. Ultimately, we underscore LinkedIn's underused potential as a dynamic platform for collaborative innovation in digital public governance, offering actionable insights into how communication strategies can strengthen trust, responsiveness, and legitimacy in the public sector.