Local government is sometimes accused unfairly of being resistant to change. In fact our record reveals us as the most progressive and innovative part of the public sector.

From putting trackers on bin lorries to plot the most fuel efficient routes, to pioneering cross sector budget sharing on things like tackling problem families, there is not a area of local government where hard thinking isn't being done on how to deliver services better at lower cost. The way we communicate with residents is a particularly exciting area.

Yesterday marked a watershed moment in the way councils use social media. As part of social media week the LGA set up the #OurDay tweetathon and encouraged local authorities, councillors and council staff to tweet about their day. We wanted to give the public a behind the scenes insight into the hard work that goes on 24-hours-a-day to deliver the hundreds of services councils provide.

It was an overwhelming success. Almost 4,000 local government tweeters contributed more than 10,000 individual tweets which were seen by more than 760,000 people. At one stage the #OurDay hashtag was the number two trending topic in the UK.

Local government is clearly taking to social media. We know we have to. Traditional outlets remain an important way to communicate but many of the 18-year-olds who voted in the most recent local elections have had access to the internet since before they were ten. Our approach is evolving to go with them and the others who have embraced social media.

From day-to-day updates on things like road closures and flood warnings, to advising residents of the opportunity to respond to community consultations, online networks offer a great way to get information out quickly and directly to the people we want to reach. And it gives them the opportunity to provide instant feedback.

Next week, to give local authorities a way of alerting their residents to the fact they have embraced social media, we will be officially launching the Social Media Friendly Mark.