Twitter Guidance
Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows account holders to tweet up to 140 characters of information to followers. The BLM communicates information directly to Twitter followers, alerting them to news and events and directing them to the BLM's official website.
This online guidance outlines procedures for using Twitter for official BLM business.
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I. Governance
The BLM's National Communications Directorate - through its New Media Team - provides national oversight of Twitter accounts for official external communication needs.
At this time, the BLM maintains national, state, and center Twitter accounts. In addition, the BLM establishes local or specialty accounts, such as BLM Director and Careers, if frequent and immediate external communication serves the agency and public need.
The BLM's New Media Team reviews all requests for external new media accounts, to include external new media sites, social networking, and other Web 2.0 services or tools. To establish a new media account, a Washington Office (WO) Directorate or State/Center External Affairs (EA) Office must complete the Social Media Request Form and submit the form to the BLM’s New Media Lead, Kaveh Sadeghzadeh, at kcsadegh@blm.gov .
The BLM's online new media policy provides more information about the approval process and acceptable use of new media at the BLM.
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II. Branding
For consistent branding across new media sites, BLM Twitter feeds must include the following branding elements:
- The official BLM logo or an authorized logo image ();
- The BLM national, state, center, or program name;
- An approved description of the national office, state, center, or program; and
- The link to an official BLM external website.
The BLM office, state, center, or program should select a background image that best represents the geographic location or program emphasis.
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III. Technical Requirements
BLM Twitter feeds must comply with the following technical requirements.
[1] All content posted to an official BLM Twitter feed will first appear substantively on the BLM's external website.
[2] As a best practice, the BLM will shorten lengthy Uniform Resource Locators or URLs through www.bitly.com before including them in a "tweet". The BLM uses bit.ly rather than the automated shortener in Twitter. For more information about bit.ly, read the BLM's online guidance.
[3] All official BLM Twitter feeds will follow all other BLM feeds, to include the BLM Director's feed; the Department of the Interior and its bureaus; and the White House. Other recommended feeds to follow include but are not limited to: local congressmen; federal, state, and local governments; local news outlets; organizations with which the BLM partners; and other entities that may tweet on BLM issues. Official BLM Twitter feeds should follow organizations or individuals only when it is in the best interest of the agency.
[4] In tweets and retweets, BLM Twitter account administrators will exercise sound judgment when linking to non-BLM information.
[5] The direct messaging feature of an official BLM Twitter account to communicate with the public.
[6] All official BLM Twitter accounts will provide a link to the .
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