This document discusses the popularity and uses of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. It then focuses on how the Department for Communities and Local Government uses Twitter to engage with audiences, reach new people, promote messages and campaigns, and monitor relevant conversations. It asks staff to consider becoming Twitter champions and provides information on how the department can help people find audiences and monitor social media.

2. Social media – why bother?
• Facebook has 40 million users in the UK.
24% of all internet use is Facebook and
over half of UK adults have an account
• Twitter is one of the top 10 most visited
sites on the internet and has 10 million
users in the UK
• YouTube is the third biggest website in the
world and the second most popular search
engine after Google

6. Twitter
• Useful for finding out information as it happens
• Often the first place where information is shared, even before it
appears in the media
• DCLG (@CommunitiesUK) has over 50,000 followers
• We use Twitter to:
– engage with our audiences
– reach new audiences
– draw attention to press notices and information on our website
– promote marketing campaign messages
– rebuttals
– live tweet and communicate information in real time
– monitor conversations relevant to our policy areas
– keep up to date with what our partners are doing

7. www.pinterest.com
• Bookmarking site for images
• 12 million users
(Facebook 1b, Twitter 500m,
LinkedIn 125m)
• Create boards around a theme

11. What do we need from you?
Twitter champions
• Learn about Twitter
• Look for opportunities to tweet
• Respond to comments

12. What can we do for you?
Help you find your audiences online
• Show you how search social media
• Set up dashboards for monitoring
• Help you find key influencers

13. On the intranet
http://bit.ly/XY5J5O

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