Advertisement stunt or your silver lining?

Everyone loves Twitter. It’s a great way to connect with friends, businesses, chit and chat your way through the day. And now Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican has joined in on the fun! On Wednesday, he and his aides sat down and introduced themselves to the Twitter world.

His tweet read:

Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI”.

This new found technological venture is all in aid to try and help them gain and spread their religious views. In fact, it’s not just Twitter that they have got their teeth stuck into. They also have Facebook and a YouTube channel to help engage with people. Their Twitter account: news_va_en will now be an active method of communication for the Vatican.

Now this post is not all about how Social media can influence and convert views on religion and what is right and wrong in terms of beliefs, but rather a quick look about how useful social media is in allowing such sects and communities to be an active part of society.

This is a great example as to how technology can be used for so many different groups of people and different societies with their own aims and goals. Social media is a great news and update outlet and, most importantly, is a great way to get younger people involved and aware of issues. The youth tends to use these podiums for social means and so follow and read (even absent-mindedly), news and updates which open them up to new topics and ways of thinking. Now, by no means do I think the Vatican are out to convert people to Catholicism, but it is a brilliant way for them to interact with people about ideas and beliefs. This is because social media, unlike other forms of advertisement, is not invasive, is not usually viral and can be actively sought after. It is a more acceptable and friendly way of spreading messages rather rather than bombarding the public with endless adverts in other forms.

In fact, with such high profile people and communities using tools like Twitter and Facebook, it can encourage others to use them too! For example, when news that the Pope had interacted on Twitter emerged, a tweet from Shanna Quinn in Chicago, read:

The pope is on twitter…this probably means my mom will be on twitter very soon.”

The more people there are using Twitter and Facebook, means more people you, and/or your business can reach out to yourself, so these events should be considered a silver lining rather than a stunt or gimmick.   It’s no bad thing for either you or social media in general.

Articles mentioned in this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13956572

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/globovision