The popes doing it, so why can’t commercial agents

On Monday we read with interest that Pope Benedict XVI now has his own official Twitter account. The Vatican announced that his holiness wanted to use the platform to help him “reach out to everyone”. In addition to English, he has a further 7 accounts for German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, French and Arabic speaking followers.

If after 2000 years the Roman Catholic Church can embrace social media, is it so big a leap of Chartered Surveyors to start Tweeting too?

This however is not the first time that the Pope has communicated to the masses via the Twittershpere. That was actually June of last year when the then 84-year-old Pontiff tweeted from the Vatican’s official account.

In fact the Vatican aren’t new to social media at all. In addition to Twitter accounts for the Pope and the Vatican, they also use Facebook, YouTube and text messaging to reach a wider audience. Yet with over 1.2billion Roman Catholics on the planet, they only have the relatively small following of 110,000. Unsurprisingly, the Vatican follows no one. Not even Stephen Fry. �

Why Can’t Chartered Surveyors Too?

According to research published by Forbes, 85% of businesses that use social media as part of their integrated marketing programme report an increase in their overall marketing exposure. And furthermore, 58% of businesses that have had a social media presence for over 3 years reported an increase in sales during that period.

Using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn will enable chartered surveyors and commercial agents to network and raise their visibility in the commercial marketplace. Regular use helps to establish knowledge and authority within their area of expertise. It can even be an effective platform to engage with new talent, new partners and new clients.

Philip Burrows, Marketing Consultant