Aside from ensuring that every tweet you do on Wednesday 26 November includes the hashtag #OurDay, we thought we’d highlight what makes a great OurDay tweet by sharing again some of last year’s favourites to give you some ideas…
1. Include a quirky picture
Last year there were some fantastic photos shared displaying all manner of public service. The great thing about a quirky picture is that it can get people engaged with a service they’d never thought about before, didn’t know anything about, or perhaps previously thought a little dull.
2. Include a fun video
Who could forget Charnwood Council’s dog poo video? A funny film with a serious point and a great way to get their message across. Make the most of your YouTube channel by sharing your best videos via Twitter on #OurDay.
3. Reference an event that’s happening on the day
There could be all sorts of events happening locally on 26 November: a school open day, a story time session at the library, a charity coffee morning, a training workshop, a staff conference and so on… Any of these events run by, and/or for public service in some way are worth some #OurDay tweets.
4. Reference a key individual that people will take an interest in
It was great to see so many chief executives, councillors and other senior figures get involved with OurDay last year. From mayors talking with school children, to councillors visiting elderly residents, and a chief executive going green and riding his bike to meetings, it’s always interesting to see what our senior public figures get up to. It proves that those responsible for our public services genuinely care about what they are delivering for local people.
5. Use additional hashtags so that more people get involved
Additional key hashtags can boost the #OurDay audience. Some examples are:
#localgov #ukedchat #edchat #ukgov
But there are loads more depending on the subject of the tweet, who you want to target and where you are in the country.
6. Get a conversation going
OurDay is a great opportunity to start a conversation with service users online. In previous years #OurDay Twitter discussions have ranged from the parks and gardens team answering gardening questions, to councillors holding surgeries via Skype and waste management teams answering recycling questions.
7. Encourage others to tweet pictures they’ve taken
It was great to see service users getting involved in #OurDay last year. Encouraging others to take pictures and contribute their thoughts on public service is a useful way to engage new people and get feedback.
8. Run a competition
Maybe facts and figures like the ones below could form the basis for an #OurDay competition:
How many call will our contact centre receive today? #OurDay
How many bins will our waste teams empty today? #OurDay
9. Retweet other people’s tweets – encourage them to retweet yours
Encourage other local organisations to get involved with OurDay by retweeting their tweets using the #OurDay hashtag. Hopefully they’ll retweet some of your OurDay tweets too.
10. Run a mini-tweetathon locally alongside OurDay
Tie OurDay into an online event you are already running locally. In this example, it was a month long tweetathon promoting services for older people.
If you'd like to share your ideas for good OurDay tweets, or let us know how you're planning to get involved, why not join the OurDay group?
We look forward to seeing your tweets on 26 November - #OurDay.
