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It boosts the number of people you can reach when talking about the good work you have done for your area. This includes the local press who can pick up on your stories without you having to press release them.
| “Social media is a good way to tell people what you actually do as a councillor.” Nick Bason, Liberal Democrat, Waltham Forrest |
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Unlike traditional media/leaflet dropping, it allows for two-way communication so you get immediate feedback on your plans or manifesto and can react accoringly.
| “(Social media is) an immediate, unmediated and two-way channel of communication with people we represent and need to engage with.” Steven Adams, Conservative, Buckinghamshire |
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It allows you to connect with a different type of resident – who perhaps can’t give up time to come to council meetings or surgeries.
| “[My] website had 1000 visits in first 9 weeks [after it was re-launched]. I know that residents are being informed.” Ken Hawkins, Conservative, Solihull |
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With Twitter you can follow or create converstations on many different interest levels, so you might follow some people because they tweet about your party and others because they are involved in local issues. Some may talk about the issues faced by councillors generally, while another group might be based around your favourite football team. So depending on who you follow Twitter can become a one-stop-shop for the news and views you are interested in.
| “It’s the widening of the local government network. Councillors tend to be isolated into small groups, [but] social media can create larger groups.” Tim Cheetham, Labour, Barnsley |
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Campaigns can ‘go viral’ with social media. If you are trying to save a local amenity from closure or hoping to prevent an unpopular planning appliction from being approved, these campaigns can grow exponentionally if they are picked up online. A blog can help explain the cause and Twitter and facebook will help you spread the word.
| “Twitter helps me keep in touch with what others locally are thinking and seeing. Broadcasting is one thing, but listening is more useful!” Councillor Tim Prater, Folkestone Town Council |
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Help bring your community together and combat extremism. It is important that respectable politcians stand up against extremism in all areas of public debate including the social web.
| “Communication isn’t just about broadcasting information, it’s an exchange of information. Our new website is a vital tool for us to better engage with all sections of the community.” Councillor Antony Bull, Chairman, Southwater Parish Council |
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The conversations are already happening without you. Many citizens are already using social media to talk about local issues – and they are often bemoaning the lack of a response from their council or councillors. This is an oppotunity to become involved. Even if you can’t solve the problem straight away, you can acknowledge it and offer to look into it.
| “In such a fast moving world, councils need to keep up or get left behind. Smart councils and councillors are now taking advantage of technology and social media to drive communications, innovation and improvement.” Councillor Michael Chater, Chairman, National Association of Local Councils |
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It’s simple and cheap to do. Using social media costs nothing more than time, there are no printing costs and you can do it from the comfort of your home or office, rather than out in the elements.
| “I’d possibly suggest twitter as being a good place to start, as essentially it’s asking you what you are doing – which is a question most people should be able to answer.” Councillor Anthony Mckeown, Labour, High Peak Borough Council |
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It’s one of the best ways to engage with young people. Young people are increasingly using social media as a means of communication and entertainment and if we hope to get them involved in local democracy it is important to use the tools they use to speak to them.
“By using the modes of communication young people are using then hopefully we can get them involved in campaigning and even becoming councillors themselves.” Andrew Palfreeman, Conservative, Kirklees Council
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People will connect with you on a personal level. When handled properly, social media accounts are great at letting people get to know youw a little better, allowing them to warm to you rather than just seeing you as an extention of the council.
“When I started with my blog it was a little like firing an arrow into the sky. I was never sure whether anyone would actually notice. Then the local newspaper started to follow up some of my blog entries. Stories both personal and in my capacity as a councillor started to appear in print. My bowling club colleagues started to comment on the frequency I was being featured!
All in all, in my view, social media in local government have a clear future ahead. My advice is ‘pick up your bow and start firing the odd arrow or two!’.” Sean Brady, Independent Parish Councillor, Formby Parish Council |
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Ron Ward
This is the top 10 but there are many more thanks for the tips.
Cllr Steve Wakefield Ind Toothill and Westlea @therailwayman