‘Connected councillors: a guide to using social media’

Visit: http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=17797214

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A brilliant guide for politicians on how to use the social web to listen and talk to communities.

Social media is changing the way we work, socialise and govern. It can also help your council save money. This new publication shows how you can use social media to achieve more for less.

People turn to the web to find out about many things – from days out, entertainment and shopping, to making connections with friends and colleagues. They expect to be able to comment and contribute to everything, from online versions of newspapers to items they purchase from online retailers like Amazon.

Citizens will increasingly expect local government to provide its services online with the same level of interactivity that they find elsewhere. It wasn’t that long ago that email was a novel way to contact your councillor. Many councillors are already interacting with the people they represent online through social media, and it won’t be long before this is a common expectation, too.

Some practical guidance to help councillors use social media has been developed by:

Local Government (LG) Improvement and Development (formerly IDeA)
the Leadership Centre for Local Government
the National Association of Local Councils and Standards for England.

for more examples and tips