The use of social media by National Statistical Institutes has been developing quickly in recent years
and will most certainly continue evolve in years to come. Providing examples of best practice is
therefore risky as they will most likely be out of date within a couple of years. However, as a guide to
help avoid early mistakes and give advice on whom to ask, a broad overview is attempted below.  
Social media has been used in a variety of forms to disseminate and raise the profile of official
statistics. The Office for National Statistics  (UK) is introducing YouTube videos discussing key
statistical publications and explaining them to users vocally and visually to enhance understanding.
The United Nations used various platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to raise the
profile of World Statistics Day.  
There are various sources of best practice information:
• The survey conducted by the  Finnish NSI on Eurostat’s in September 2010 on the use of
social media
• Notes from the UNECE meeting on communication in Paris 2010 and in Geneva 2011
• Notes from the Dissemination Working Group in Luxembourg in October 2010
• Business intelligence
According to the Finnish survey social media is used as a tool for external communication by 61 per
cent of the EU NSI. The most popular social media tool is Twitter, applied in more than one third of the
organisations. Chats and wikis are used in every fifth organisation. YouTube, Facebook and
organisation blogs are used only in 15 per cent of the organisations.  
The Finnish survey shows that social media are mainly used to distribute information, to promote the
use of statistics and to increase statistical literacy. They are also quite commonly employed to reach
new audiences and to improve user support, as well as to receive user feedback and for marketing. In
most cases social media are seen as a tool for  promoting and increasing the use of statistical
information in society, and for reaching as wide audiences as possible. More interactive
communication and engagement in social debate are often mentioned as the main reasons for
applying social media, too. Promotion of the image of the NSI as a modern, dynamic organisation and
a positive potential employer was also cited as one of the most important purposes for using social
media.
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