Social media for local councils, libraries and community services

Residents do not follow a council for entertainment. They follow because the bins changed, the road is closed or the library has a half-term event. Be where they already are, and make sure every post answers a real question.

Each library branch, leisure centre or community hub that people visit in person should have accurate opening hours on Google. Many residents check Google before they set out.

Plan the routine posts and leave room for the unplanned ones. A fixed weekly shape means residents learn when to look for what.

• Monday: the week ahead. Collection changes, closures, roadworks, consultations closing.
• Tuesday: how to do something. Apply, report, renew, book, in three steps with a link.
• Wednesday: libraries and community. Events, reading groups, holiday activities.
• Thursday: people and places. Staff, volunteers, a park, a local project.
• Friday: the weekend. Events, opening hours, anything that changes on bank holidays.
• Any time: urgent updates on weather, closures and emergencies, pinned to the top.

Public services serve everyone, so posts should work for screen reader users, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and people who read English as a second language. Build these habits into every post rather than checking later.

In the US, the Department of Justice's ADA Title II rule requires state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. After an April 2026 interim final rule, the compliance dates are 26 April 2027 for entities with a population of 50,000 or more and 26 April 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments. Social media posts made before your compliance date are excepted; posts made after it generally must comply. ADA.gov says you do not have to make the whole platform accessible, that public comments are likely covered by the third-party content exception, and that you cannot contract away your duties by having someone else post for you. This is general information, not legal advice.

1. Write alt text for every image that says what a resident needs to know from it.
2. Caption every video, and do not rely on sound to carry the message.
3. Never put key information only inside an image; repeat it in the text.
4. Use plain English, short sentences and one message per post.
5. Write hashtags in camel case, such as #LibraryWeek, so screen readers read them properly.
6. Link to the full information on your website, and check the page is accessible too.

Source: ADA.gov: First steps toward complying with the Title II web and mobile app accessibility rule, checked 15 October 2026

Council accounts attract complaints, campaigns and the occasional abuse. Decide the rules before you need them, publish them, and apply them the same way to everyone.

In the US, moderating comments on government accounts raises free speech questions. In Lindke v. Freed (2024), the Supreme Court held that a public official who blocks someone from commenting on the official's social media page engages in state action only if the official had actual authority to speak for the state on the matter and purported to use it in the posts. That case was about an official's own page; an account run by the council itself speaks for the government, so take legal advice before blocking residents or deleting comments for the views they express.

1. Publish a short comment policy: what you remove (abuse, threats, personal data, spam) and what you do not (criticism).
2. Hide or remove only what breaks the policy, and keep a record of what you removed and why.
3. Reply to service requests by pointing to the right form or phone line, then follow up.
4. Never ask residents to post personal details, case numbers or addresses in public comments.
5. Escalate threats and safeguarding concerns to the right team the same day.

Source: US Supreme Court: Lindke v. Freed, No. 22-611 (decided 15 March 2024), checked 15 October 2026

In England, councils must have regard to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity when deciding on publicity, and the code covers websites and material hosted from third parties. Its principles are that publicity should be lawful, cost effective, objective, even-handed and appropriate, have regard to equality and diversity, and be issued with care during periods of heightened sensitivity. It also says paid-for advertising must comply with the ASA's advertising codes.

Between the notice of an election and the election itself, the code says councils should not publish publicity on controversial issues or report views or proposals in a way that identifies them with individual members or groups of members. Publicity about individuals directly involved in the election should not be published unless authorised by statute, but factual information giving the names, wards and parties of candidates is allowed. The code adds that it may be necessary to suspend third-party material or close public forums during this period.

Outside England, and outside the UK, check your own rules; the principle of staying neutral before an election is a sensible default everywhere. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Put the election period dates in the content calendar as soon as they are known.
• Pause posts that quote or picture councillors, unless they are purely factual and essential.
• Keep service information, emergencies and statutory notices going as normal.
• Check scheduled posts before the period starts, and remove anything that no longer fits.

Sources: GOV.UK: Recommended code of practice for local authority publicity, checked 15 October 2026; Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity (DCLG Circular 01/2011, PDF), checked 15 October 2026

When something goes wrong, residents need one trusted source. Agree in advance who can post, who signs off, and how updates reach every channel. Keep emergency posts short, timed and pinned, and say when the next update will come.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: list the month's service changes, events, consultations and awareness days.
• Week 2: photograph and film a library event, a park or a service in action, with consent from anyone identifiable.
• Week 3: post a staff or volunteer story and a how-to for a common question.
• Week 4: review the questions residents asked most and turn the top three into next month's posts.