Analyzing YouTube Videos Produced by Local Governments:

Focus on Titles and Comments

Abstract

Recently, local governments have increasingly used social media for public relations. This study analyzed over 200,000 YouTube videos posted by local Japanese governments using the text analysis tool KH Coder. The aim was to determine strategies for creating more effective content. By analyzing frequently occurring words in the titles of highly rated videos, the study found that videos with many likes frequently targeted railway users. Further analysis of frequently occurring words in comments on highly rated videos showed that even policy-related content could attract viewers from outside the local area.