DOE in search of friends, followers in social media sphere

The Energy Department has launched a Facebook page but, so far, its fan base of 556 is dwarfed by that of Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s personal Facebook page tally of 13,559 fans.

DOE expanded its reach into social media with the launch of a new blog and Facebook and Twitter pages. Chu introduced the Energy Blog on the departmental Web site July 20.

“While the act of starting a blog is hardly novel, it is a first for us and part of our commitment to achieving the level of transparency, engagement, and accessibility that you should expect from your government,” Chu wrote in the inaugural blog entry.

“Our goal is to use the Energy Blog and our other social media outlets to show you who we are, what we do, and why it matters to you, while allowing you to connect with us in new and creative ways,” he added in his entry.

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The new platforms supplement Chu’s personal Facebook page, which has been operating for a year and has signed up 13,557 followers. The department also has maintained YouTube and Flickr accounts.

The Energy Department recently hired Cammie Croft as director of new media. She formerly was deputy director of new media at the White House, where she was involved in creating the White House Facebook and video pages. In her new position, Croft is upgrading the Energy Department’s IT infrastructure to allow for use of new Web 2.0 tools for online engagement.