An Operational Model for Utilizing Social Media to Enhance the Quality of Public Relations in the Insurance Industry

Fariba  Amini; Ali Mohammad Mazidi Sharaf Abadi; Seyed Mahmoud Reza  Mortazavi; Gholamhossein  Biabani

Authors

Fariba Amini Department of Communication Sciences, May.C., Islamic Azad University, Meybod, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0989-6248
Ali Mohammad Mazidi Sharaf Abadi Department of Communication Sciences, May.C., Islamic Azad University, Meybod, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4376-310X
Seyed Mahmoud Reza Mortazavi Department of Communication Sciences, May.C., Islamic Azad University, Meybod, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2692-6139
Gholamhossein Biabani Department of Communication Sciences, May.C., Islamic Azad University, Meybod, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9122-519X

Keywords:

Social Media, Digital Public Relations, Operational Model, Insurance Industry, Grounded Theory, Quality Development

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop an operational model for the effective utilization of social media to improve the quality of public relations in the insurance industry.

Methods and Materials: The study employed a qualitative research design based on grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 academic experts, executive managers, and professionals with relevant experience in public relations, social media, and the insurance industry. Participants were selected purposively according to their expertise and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The interview data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding.

Findings: The analysis indicated that managerial attitudes toward social media, managers’ strategic knowledge and expertise, and organizational structural support constituted the principal causal conditions for effective social media utilization. Transparent communication policies and an open organizational culture provided the contextual foundation required for implementing the model. Specialized human resources, technical infrastructure, managerial motivation and prioritization, acceptance of innovation, and active feedback mechanisms emerged as intervening factors that could either facilitate or constrain implementation. The principal operational strategies included strategic planning, continuous employee training, application of digital technologies, rapid responsiveness to stakeholders, communication-risk management, and coordination among organizational units. The implementation of these strategies was inferred to enhance audience interaction, strengthen public trust and satisfaction, improve internal team efficiency, foster creativity and innovation, accelerate data-driven decision-making, and reinforce organizational reputation and brand image.

Conclusion: The effective use of social media in insurance-industry public relations depends on the coordinated interaction of managerial decisions, organizational structures, workplace culture, skilled human resources, and technological capacities. Systematic implementation of the proposed model can improve the sustainability, effectiveness, responsiveness, and overall quality of public relations practices.

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