10 must-read Twitter rules for Irish politicians

Over the past week, Twitter has emerged as a serious political tool in Ireland.

But, for the most part, Irish politicians using Twitter employ it as a bland diary record. Worse still, they don't actually post themselves, leaving it to an assistant (which becomes completely transparent).

One British Labour MP, Tom Harris, takes a different approach. He uses Twitter (and his blog) properly. And he has come up with 10 rules for politicians who want to use Twitter credibly. They should be nailed to the wall of every political PR office in Ireland. Here they are.

1. Don’t just broadcast – engage. Politicians who use social media to let everyone know what they think but who don’t even respond to others’ views are doing themselves no favours.

2. Do it yourself. I cannot emphasise this strongly enough: if you have a Twitter account, never let anyone else Tweet on your behalf. Without authenticity, your Twittering is valueless (at least, that’s what I told Tom yesterday when I offered to write this for him…).

3. Don’t Tweet and drink. Should be self-evident, but you’d be surprised how many are tempted. If you’re out for a drink, don’t even check your Twitter account for updates, lest ye be tempted to reply, however entertaining the results would be for the rest of us, and for the media (see numbers 9 and 10).

4. Argue by all means, but avoid being offensive. Respond with a pithy or sarcastic comment if you’re provoked, but be more measured than your critics.

5. Avoid giving your diary details – nothing to do with security, it’s just dull. “Just had a very productive meeting with a really worthy organisation” might be of interest to members of that worthy organisation and to both of the constituents who follow your Twitter feed, but not to the rest of us. Also, avoid inane greetings and sign-offs: “Morning Tweeps!” No-one cares. Really, they don’t.

6. Don’t split your message over more than one Tweet. This is simply bad Twitter etiquette. The value of Twitter is in the discipline required to say what you want to say in 140 characters or fewer. If you want to write an essay, use a blog.

7. Tempting though it is to insist on getting the last word in a Twitter exchange, it’s often more gracious to leave that to your critics.

8. Don’t block followers. There are some real morons out there who get off on sending abusive Tweets, particularly to politicians. They wear the “blocked by an MP” badge with pride. Far better to ignore them completely. Believe me, that will annoy them far more than blocking them will.

9. Always assume that whatever you Tweet will be read by the news editor of the Daily Mail. Because that assumption will be correct. Speak your Tweets out loud, preferably to a third party, before you post. If you have any doubts about whether it will be misinterpreted, then err on the side of caution.

10. If you wake to find an army of reporters, photographers and camera crews outside your home, it could be a sign that you need to rethink your new media strategy.

Comments

[Bernie Goldbach]

You forgot to mention, "Don't start without assembling your rear guard." I learned this tip from top Irish twitterati who depend on their posses to act as radar scopes and as digital lollipop guards.

[Damian Scattergood]

Excellent advice for everyone, both business and politicians. I agree that the social media world is far more savvy and can read between the lines in many comments posititve and negative. You win by being smart.

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