Respectful and Positive Communications on Social Media

This e-learning course provides local councils and councillors with an introduction to strategies to get the most from positive communication and engagement on social media.

For local councils large and small, and increasingly for councillors, social media is a hugely important component of community engagement to stay in touch and engage with communities. There are challenges and barriers that prevent councils and councillors from reaping the full benefits of social media, and that's what this course explores.

By the end of this course you will:

• Be able to consider the opportunities and risks that social presents to both councils and councillors from a civility and respect perspective.
• Explore a range of strategies that councils and councillors can put in place to set themselves up for social media success.
• Consider what you ‘sound like’ on social media and how our 'digital tone of voice' can impact how both how we come across to others, as well as impacting how others engage with us.
• Understand how we can use social media to demystify the role of our council and our councillors.
• Know what to do if things go wrong: how to manage a range of scenarios from trolling to harassment and what steps to take.

Approximate time to complete: 60 minutes