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What Social Media Do Government Officials Use Most? (GRAPHIC)

Only 16 percent of government executives said they don’t use social networks at all.

All social media platforms are not created equal in the eyes of public officials.

A new survey of 164 members of the GOVERNING Exchange, an online community of government executives, finds that Facebook and LinkedIn are used most often in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, Facebook is used at home by more that 4 out of 5 government executives. The findings reveal that Pinterest — despite being only two years old — is used at home by 1 out of 5 public servants.

Only 16 percent of respondents said they don’t use social networks at all. Meanwhile, 17 percent said someone else manages their social media accounts.

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Although the numbers suggest that most government officials are using at least one social network in some capacity, 70 percent of survey respondents said government could do a better job of using social media. Sixty percent said they believe that constituents support more use of social media.

 

Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.