The Channel Wire

July 28, 2009

Government departments in Britain are being encouraged to use Twitter, the micro-blogging phenomenon, after a government-employed "Web geek" published a 20-page Twitter strategy on the British Cabinet Office Web site.

Neil Williams, head of corporate digital channels for Britain's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), published the 20-page "template" strategy explaining the importance of Twitter and how government officials should use it, according to the UK Press Association (UKPA).

Twitter, the rapidly growing micro-blogging site that lets users type messages of no more than 140 characters, is already in use by several of Britain's government departments, including Downing Street, the Foreign Office and individual Members of Parliament, the UKPA reported.

On the Cabinet Office blog, Williams called the 20-page tweetorial "a bit over the top for a tool like Twitter," but noted that he "was surprised by just how much there is to say -- and quite how worth saying it is."

Several British press organizations said the Twitter template was written specifically for BIS but can be used by other departments. The strategy notes that using Twitter, tweeting, replying to incoming messages and monitoring the account would take less than an hour per day.

The strategy also notes that BIS employees should use Twitter to publish two to 10 tweets per day, not including replies to other Twitter users or live tweeting of an event or crisis situation. The guidelines caution, however, that tweets and Twitter use should be limited to relevant issues or upcoming events. The strategy also encourages campaign messages and insights from ministries.

Additionally, the British Twitter guidelines caution against following any Twitter user who does not follow the government department to avoid the government's Twitter use being perceived as "Big Brother" activity. The department should also automatically follow all users who choose to follow it on Twitter, UKPA reported.

On a radio appearance, Tom Watson, a former British labor minister and frequent Twitter user, defended the government's urging of tweeting.

"Generally, departments Twittering is a good thing because it allows them to build their own communities of interest and get their message out," Watson told BBC Radio 4's Today program, according to The Guardian UK. "You give interesting links, you give informative information, you give a flavor of what the department are doing at the time and what the issues are, and frankly if the Foreign Office don't give that, people unsubscribe from their link and they're not being very good Twitterers."