Councils, even the more tech-savvy ones who are using Twitter, could be missing a trick by not having a Facebook page to interact with their communities.
Facebook is the top social networking site on the planet, and with 19 million users in the UK 78% of councils are missing out on the opportunity to create efficiencies and interact with citizens using this channel.
Twitter now has 2.6 million UK users, presenting councils with a valuable channel to engage and connect with their local population and half of the UK's local authorities are turning to Twitter to interact with the public, with less than a quarter surveyed (22%) having an official Facebook page.
The study, by ntl:Telewest Business, revealed that 42% of local authorities used an official Twitter account to inform 'twitizens' about local events, news and job opportunities.
A further 7% were experimenting with the site for specific events and services. However, social networking usage was dwarfed by the mobile phone, with almost three quarters (73%) of councils using SMS text messages to communicate with the community.
With the cost of interacting with the public via the web costing just 27p per visitor, compared to £3.22 per phone call and £6.56 per face-to-face visit*, many councils are examining how they can improve citizen contact, increase effectiveness and reduce costs.
Social networking sites now offer local authorities new opportunities to transform the way in which they engage with an increasingly digitally active community.
"Communication is at the heart of successful government, meaning that improving citizen contact has become a key aim for local authorities," said John Maund, public sector specialist at ntl:Telewest Business.
"As more and more people embrace social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, councils can use these new channels to provide information, interact with their local community and create ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders. With a clear digital strategy, guidelines and robust high speed network in place to support these tools, councils will benefit from direct communication channels to citizens."
The survey was carried out this month and 103 city councils, metropolitan councils, county councils and unitary authorities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland responded to questions on the technologies they were using
