All reels lead to Rome!

Daniele Cinà, Head of Social Media Communications for the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, lifts the lid on the strategy behind the strong social media presence and picks out his highlights from the feed.

What is the main strategy behind your Instagram posts?

The main goal is to make the administration’s work known, tangible, and accessible to everyone. For us, social media channels are not just informative; they represent an extraordinary ecosystem for building trust, by showcasing processes, explaining decisions, and sharing the administration’s daily work and concrete actions. We don’t make promises about future projects; we talk about what we have already done. The mayor’s determination, approachability and, above all, his empathy, help forge a strong bond with citizens.

Cesto’ – An urban waste revolution

A post announcing 18,000 new trash cans in the city combining information, entertainment, and participation. Connecting to a collective moment for the city achieved wide organic reach: over 15 million views across all channels.

Inauguration of the piazza pia

An example of effective institutional communication: explanation of processes, clear, visual content focused on the concrete result of an administrative initiative giving locals and tourists a new square to replace a congested street.

How do you determine whether a post is successful?

We don’t measure the success of content solely by the number of likes, views, and shares, but by the quality of the interaction. Of course, we look at engagement and comments, but we also consider the post’s ability to generate trust, enthusiasm, and a sense of belonging to a shared common project. For us, content is effective when it is useful and relevant to citizens, and when it inspires enthusiasm and strengthens the sense of belonging to the community.

Via ottaviano redevelopment 

The mayor’s favorite post! Particularly meaningful content marking a significant and symbolic achievement in Rome’s transformation: a street that has been fully pedestrianized and turned into a true “living room of Rome.”

Marking Rome's birthday with the cities bueaties 

Content centered on the city’s deepest identity and its millennia-old history, drawing on the pride and sense of belonging of Romans. A post with a strong emotional impact that remained consistent with the mayor’s institutional profile.

How do you maintain authenticity in relation to the mayor’s personality and role?

Authenticity is key: that’s why one of our main concerns has been to preserve the mayor’s credibility and avoid distorting his image by having him do something that doesn’t fully represent him. So we chose to focus on his skills – for example, his ability to explain things clearly, given his background as a university professor. Obviously, we’ve had to adapt to the fast pace of social media, but we’ve always tried to keep the language consistent with the mayor’s institutional profile: understated, clear, and content-driven.

The "What were you like in the 90s trend"

A post the mayor initially didn’t approve of but that turned out to be a huge viral success. The opportunity to show what he was like as a young man was an excellent strategy to further connect citizens with their mayor through images that also spoke to the Rome of the past.

Mayor cleans Graffiti covered walls

Strong visual content showing the mayor sandblasting to maintain the city walls. With its before-and-after format and instantly clear message, it had excellent organic reach and a major impact on citizens who, for the first time, saw a mayor undertaking such a complex, technical operation.

What is the biggest challenge in managing the page?

The main challenge is striking a balance between clarity and complexity. Many administrative issues are complex and require simplification, without sacrificing accuracy. At the same time, it is essential to maintain continuity and consistency in the narrative, in an increasingly fast-paced and competitive communication landscape. This is another reason why we chose to create a recognizable format using 90-second reels capable of engaging citizens in the major challenge of improving a large and complex city like Rome.

Introducing a new tool to tackle parking violations

A divisive piece of content that sparked an active conversation, generating thousands of comments, both for and against. The high level of interaction proved its strong relevance to citizens.

New apartments in Tor Bella Monaca

A balance between institutional tone and storytelling in the account of the largest redevelopment of public apartments in the outer suburbs. Content that represents our approach to both politics and communication: clarity, concreteness, and attention to people’s real needs.

Why focus on reels?

They represent the most effective format for capturing attention and amplifying the reach of content organically. In a context where attention spans are increasingly short and competition for information is fierce, short-form video allows us to simplify complex messages without trivializing them, making them accessible and immediate. Reels also allow us to humanize the institution, showcasing the mayor’s daily work in a direct and transparent way, and generate greater engagement compared to traditional formats.

Upgrading the waste management system

An informative video communicating in an ironic, unconventional way, collaborating with a comedian known for impersonating the mayor. Initially viewed as “risky”, the post achieved excellent results thanks to a simple, more direct, and accessible tone.

Tram unboxing

A successful “service-oriented” post – this presentation of the new tram model provided useful information for citizens. The format generated significant interest, and the clarity of the message encouraged shares and saves, resulting in above-average performance.

“Social media is an important tool for bringing institutions closer to citizens. It allows us to better explain our decisions, highlight our daily work, and listen to the city’s needs. It is a space that requires attention and responsibility, but it also offers the opportunity to build a more direct and transparent relationship. I want citizens to know what we are doing and why. Often, the inconveniences are visible, but the future benefits are not. Social media allows us to show the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of Rome’s transformation.” - Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri