By Tony Wilbert, WNS PR

ATLANTA (Nov. 18, 2010) - Commercial real estate, as an industry, is slow to embrace new technology. As a result, CRE companies and professionals have yet to jump into social media and social networking en masse.

Moreover, CRE professionals often cite a lack of time as a key reason for not starting a blog or creating a Twitter account.

This needs to change. It's time for commercial real estate companies and professionals to engage in social media. The tools are cheap (free), and companies and professionals have the knowledge to create the key element (content). Moreover, social media enable real estate developers, brokers and investors to create a personal brand, which is critical in this relationship-driven business.

This especially is important as mainstream media shrink their news holes (or space earmarked for stories and news content), thus reducing the opportunities to be quoted in daily papers and business journals.

And perhaps most importantly, engaging in social media can help you fortify existing and create new relationships that result in new business.

These are some of the takeaways from a pair of social media roundtables I facilitated today at NAIOP Georgia's half-day education seminar with Childress Klein Properties partner Connie Engel. Childress Klein has hired Wilbert News Strategies to establish and maintain its blog, Facebook page and Twitter account for Atlanta Galleria Office Park in Cobb County. (Connie says she decided to call WNS to help launch the office park's program after following me on Twitter for a while.)

During the roundtable, Connie said jumping into social media has enabled Childress Klein to begin to change the perception of Atlanta Galleria, an office park started in 1978, from an older, established development to a cutting-edge office park in tune with the latest industry trends and with its tenant base.

Atlanta Galleria Now blog and the office park's Facebook page and Twitter account also have helped create a personality for the office park and engage tenants by profiling several and touting good news such as a recent string of renewals.

For real estate professionals, a blog can position them as thought leaders and provide a nice touchpoint with clients and prospects. Ken Ashley of Cushman & Wakefield has a blog that's gained traction, readers and accolades from his company's top brass. Patrick Braswell's blog also has attracted a growing following. When Patrick left Colliers International for Scotland Wright Associates earlier this month, he broke the news on his blog.

During the roundtables, I mentioned Coy Davidson, a tenant rep in Colliers International's Houston office who leverages social media to network and interact with clients and prospects. Though he says he's not a social media guru, Coy has established himself as a thought leader on CRE and its use of social media. His newest Social Media CRE blog post is worth a read as you consider engaging in social media.

One key to making a social media strategy successful is to integrate it into an existing marketing plan. Twitter, Facebook and a blog should not replace your other marketing efforts, they should complement them. Here's how to do that:

Start a blog with several posts that are insightful, authoritative and interesting. Send out a tweet touting the blog entry and link to it on your Facebook page. Then, distribute a link via Constant Contact or a client relationship management program. If you still use direct mail, incorporate your blog entry into the message.

Consider social media another tool you can use to beef up your marketing and personal branding efforts. And the time to do it is now. The slow market has freed up a lot of time. Engaging in and reconnecting through social media will enable you to go full speed ahead with the market rebounds.