Social media has become an integral component of public agencies and digital diplomacy. Prior scholars have emphasised the significance of social media in International relations (IR), discussing...Show moreSocial media has become an integral component of public agencies and digital diplomacy. Prior scholars have emphasised the significance of social media in International relations (IR), discussing its advantages and difficulties. Nevertheless, in terms of public administration, there is a gap in their management, namely, in understanding how to use different platforms and the significance of social media content in engaging with the public. This research delves into the field of digital Diplomacy, examining the strategic use of social media content by the European Union’s diplomatic missions based in Athens, focusing on engagement with the public. The mixed-method study examined how diplomatic missions use social media content to engage with the public by analyzing original posts on Twitter/X and Facebook and conducting semi-structured interviews with experts and diplomats from EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) and embassies. The findings revealed that the EU embassies tend to employ posts that promote the countries’ image and interests’ indicators of Symbolic representation. In addition,they demonstrate a preference for Transparency by regularly sharing content that aligns with the policies, daily agenda and activity of the MFAs or embassies. The analysis using the Engagement Index (EI) results is noteworthy as it signifies an enhanced public connection with Coproduction content. Finally, the study reveals the strategic use of the platforms and the content for effective public engagement. Future researchers can delve into new directions by exploring other platforms or focusing on public reaction via sentimental analysis. In summary, this research emphasizes the importance of social media in diplomatic missions' external communication and advances the field by implementing the framework in digital diplomacy, particularly in the EU.Show less