Helen Duffett

Social media explained in a new guide for councillors

By | Tue 23rd March 2010 - 3:35 pm

The Leadership Centre for local government has launched a new website: The councillors’ guide to social media.

The site has a variety of information for councillors, and is particularly accessible for those who haven’t yet tried this way of communicating.

Here’s a flavour:

  • Top ten reasons to use social media

    •  

  • Banished! Ten social media myths

    •  

  • Getting started

    •  

  • Top ten councillors on Twitter which features four Liberal Democrats (including Lib Dem Voice editors Sara Bedford and Alex Foster).

    •  

  • Opportunities not taken is particularly interesting, as it highlights areas for improvement. It says that councillors and officers tend to face cultural, rather than technical barriers to using social media. Some councils still lack a clear social media policy for councillors or officers, either in a personal or professional capacity. Many councils routinely block access to social networking sites on their computers. The guide suggests ways for councillors to hold their councils to account over their social media approach.

    •  

    Connected councillors – a guide to using social media to support local leadership – is available as an interactive version and also downloadable as a pdf.

    The site also features a video of Lib Dem Councillor for Redlands (and 2009 LDV Blog of the Year shortlistee for her use of social media) Daisy Benson explaining why she uses social media:

    Video also available on YouTube.

    Read more by or more about , , , , or .
    This entry was posted in Online politics.
    Advert

    2 Comments

    Post a Comment

    Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

    To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

    Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

    *
    *
    Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

    Advert

    Recent Comments

    • Jason Connor
      Yes it's the upper middle classes store of choice. Not a Tescos, Aldi, Lidl or Asda even in sight...
    • Phil Wainewright
      @tony/Cumbria - As Lenin supposedly said, “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen" @Graham Jeffs - The consumeri...
    • peter wrigley
      Your five points are perfectly sound , but they omit the main purpose of our party, which is surely to protect and improve Liberal Democracy both this country ...
    • David Raw
      Paul. I'm afraid you can't deny that the party of 'Middle England' is also the Waitrose party....
    • Graham Jeffs
      Phil, you are right - a twenty-five-year span. Yet having a vision with a philosophy supported by sensible policies is but part of the issue. It seems likely ...