Tweets, social media help more officials get the word out

City, county, state and federal governments nationwide are increasingly embracing social media — everything from the standbys of Facebook and Twitter to the emerging technologies of Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and others.

Social media provide municipalities and government officials a quick, easy way to engage and interact with a wide swath of constituents, according to the International City/County Management Association in Washington, D.C. "The utility," says Evelina Moulder, the association's director of survey research, "is to get actionable information out quickly." The U.S. Conference of Mayors, based in Washington, says social media allow government leaders to communicate more quickly and effectively with constituents than traditional channels allow.