An introductory guide to social media, and why it may be useful for local government officers and councillors.
What is social media?
You can get blinded by the buzzwords and the jargon of social media but at its heart social media is just conversation. This can be conversation between people and there are a limitless number of topics. The fact that it is rooted in an age-old human pastime should be reassuring.
Why is it popular?
In short, social media is popular because it connects people. It can connect you with breaking news as it happens, celebrity gossip or a campaign against a planning application. It can also connect you to what people are saying, doing and thinking in their area.
The growth of social media has been boosted by the fact you no longer need a PC to access it. Smartphones easily connect to the internet when people are out and about. The pothole grumble that may have ended up as a letter is today tweeted within seconds.
Is social media good or bad?
Social media has hit the headlines in the past for the wrong reasons. The abuse or 'trolling' of famous people has attracted publicity. In reality, local councillors, authority staff and their officers don't spend their day dealing with abuse.
The UK's most popular social media sites
40 million use YouTube
35.1 million use Facebook
11.9 million use Twitter
11.3 million use LinkedIn
8.8 million use Google Plus
Source: Ofcom, 2014
What are the basic platforms?
Even if you are not a user of social media, you will no doubt have heard of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. But there are countless other platforms to consider using. You may already be a user of some, such as LinkedIn and YouTube. This section of the guide gives descriptions of the most popular platforms as well as links to more information about them.
- Twitter
Launched in 2006, Twitter is a micro-blogging platform which has grown massively in popularity in recent years. It's amazing what can be created and shared in just 140 characters. It's a lot more than people sharing what they have eaten for breakfast.
Worldwide, 271 million users send over 500 million 'tweets' every day. There are over 15 million users in the UK and 78 per cent of users access Twitter via their phones.
You can follow others, be followed, favourite tweets others have shared and post links, images and videos.
Did you know… A tweet including a photograph is up to four times as likely to be seen and acted upon.
- Facebook
Launched in 2004, and with 1.3 billion active monthly users worldwide, Facebook is the goliath of social media and an established, mainstream communications channel.
You must first start with a profile that has to be your real name. From there you can 'friend' people. Once this connection is made they can start to see what you say and you can see what they are saying. But a word of warning: Facebook will only show you what the people you most connect with say and share.
Once you have your own profile you can create a 'page' or a 'group' which could be around a campaign or a place.
Did you know… Over 24 million Britons log in to Facebook each day – that's almost 40 per cent of the population.
- YouTube
Anyone can create an account, take some video and then post it to YouTube. It's not the best place for hosting a discussion or a debate. But it is good for explaining something. Especially if you are showing people how to do it.
Did you know… 100 hours of video gets uploaded globally to YouTube every minute.
- Audioboom
Audioboom is an application for a smartphone where sound can be recorded and posted to the internet along with a picture for people to play. This can be an interview, a song, a memory or an anecdote. This can then be shared on social media or embedded on a website.
Did you know… you have up to 10 minutes of audio recording every time you use the service.
- LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a work-focused social networking site that allows you to publish an 'online CV' and connect with your colleagues and peers.
Did you know… there are 3 billion LinkedIn users globally.
Help is at hand
More than half of local authorities have a social media policy and it's worth checking out what that says. Do ask your communications leads for help and advice on using social media.
And talk to them first before you set up a social media account – have a simple plan ready to share with them covering the basics on why you want to create an account (what, why, when, who and how) and a clear idea on what you want to achieve.