37. Follow > create > engage Strategy Follow Create Engage Customer Service General public, media Content relevant to the public, tips, support Answer questions, respond to relevant comments Event Support Those interested in attending event Event information, updates Talk to attendees, ask and answer questions Crisis Mgmt & Police News Your organisation and relevant issues Direct to additional resources, explanations, info Answer questions, respond to comments, raise issues Community Initiatives Those interested in your initiative Added value, info, alerts, tips Thank for support, get people involved Community Relations Community leaders, news/media Insight, expertise, advice, updates, personality Know your followers, answer questions, ask and answer questions
Community participation Identifying key influencers in formal and informal groups such as mums at school gate
Dangers: Perceived as waste of time Gordon Scobbie, the assistant chief constable of West Midlands police, added: "We had an investigation in Birmingham, and if we hadn't used Facebook we wouldn't have been successful. Another thing is that social media is a good place to explain why we proceed in a certain way. We can now explain how we act at certain events and keep the general public informed. In that way we can make sure that the public have the democratic right to be somewhere, but also explain our way of approaching something. In posting the event, that becomes transparent.