Government's new Twitter strategy
Updated on 27 July 2009
More Government departments are being urged to use micro-blogging site Twitter after a 20-page strategy was launched on the Cabinet Office website.
The Twitter site, on which members type messages of no more than 140 characters, is already used by Downing Street, the Foreign Office and many individual MPs.
Neil Williams, head of corporate digital channels at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), has published a "template" strategy explaining the importance of Twitter and how to use it.
On the Cabinet Office digital engagement blog, Mr Williams conceded that 20 pages was a "a bit over the top for a tool like Twitter" but added: "I was surprised by just how much there is to say - and quite how worth saying it is."
The template had been written for BIS to consider using Twitter but could be used by other departments, he said.
Publishing tweets, replying to incoming messages and monitoring the account would take less than an hour a day, according to the strategy.
There would be an "add-on" to "business as usual" activity due to quick discussions of potential tweets at daily meetings, as well as emails between officials and digital media staff about potential content for tweets.
BIS should produce between two and 10 tweets per day, not including replies to other Twitterers or live coverage of a crisis or event.
Tweets should also be limited to issues of relevance or upcoming events rather than just campaign messages, and insights from ministers are encouraged.
The guidelines warn against "following" any Twitter users who do not follow the Government department as this could be interpreted as "Big Brother" behaviour. But the department should automatically follow all users who choose to follow its Twitter stream.
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