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20 Ways for Cities to use Twitter

DSC01241 The #BoulderFire tore through the canyons just west of downtown Boulder, CO a few weeks ago.  We have been considering a move to Boulder for a few years so the need to get real-time news on the fire was strong for me.  What I found was surprising.  Organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, were leveraging Twitter to disseminate news, updates, and resources to the public.  In my opinion, Twitter delivered better information than the traditional news sources.

So I decided to see how other cities were using Twitter to communicate with local residents.  My findings were somewhat surprising.

Cities and towns of all sizes are using Twitter but not many are effectively leveraging the platform to create a real connection with residents.  Most just post updates about upcoming events or share the occasional “special offer”.

Here are 20 ways for cities, towns, and downtown organizations to leverage Twitter to the fullest.

  1. Promote upcoming events
  2. Pass along special offers from member businesses
  3. Share your newsletter with email management platform integration (@DowntownGB and @DowntownYorkPA do this with Constant Contact)
  4. Tell the story of your downtown with photos and videos from live events (@DtownDallasInc does this frequently)
  5. Survey your followers for real-time feedback on what they are doing downtown right now
  6. Run ticket giveaway promotions for concerts and events
  7. Provide updates on local sport teams for followers (@DowntownPitt does this for Pirates, Penguins, Steelers games)
  8. Find vendors and suppliers for downtown projects
  9. Promote open job listings for local businesses
  10. Update residents on public works projects (@DowntownStLouis shared news of a bridge demolition)
  11. Provide real-time traffic reports
  12. Promote fundraising efforts for causes, non-profits, libraries, etc.
  13. Highlight available resources during and after crisis situations (@DowntownBoulder used Twitter to share information during the #BoulderFire)
  14. Encourage residents to participate in the political process with meeting announcements
  15. Real-time interaction attendees at live events
  16. Cross-promote your other social outposts like Facebook page, Flickr photostream, or even your website
  17. Share content created on your website
  18. Promote the Twitter accounts for other relevant city departments and services
  19. Share personal experiences with local businesses (you know, “your” stories not the marketing sounding ones)
  20. Highlight acts of social good in your community

We have been following 50 cities around the country to see how they use Twitter.  What we found is that most are only doing a handful of the activities mentioned above.  Engaging residents in multiple ways will lead to a more fruitful conversation for both sides.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  How is your city using Twitter to engage with its residents?  What can you add to the list?