No Experts, No Guru, No Method For Social Media: Hang around the LinkedIn groups for social media topics and you will probably find some interesting discussions of those that are passing themselves off as experts in social media, or how to separate the charlatans from those that really have things to contribute. It's an important issue for businesses, and not just a theoretical issue. Well, there are none. So there. Much like the early years of the growth of websites, nobody really knows enough to be accurately termed, a social media expert. Why? Because to be one, you need to have breadth of knowledge (understanding a lot of different things) and depth of knowledge (understanding those things at a deep level rather than superficially). The stumbling block, though, is even collectively we don't know enough about social media and how people behave on it and as a result of it to permit experts to emerge.
We need to make do with what we have, but if you see someone who self proclaims him or herself as a social media expert, run away. Do not hire. Either they are lying, or they are too ignorant to be useful.
Recommended: Giving The Business to Social Media Research
Asking The Wrong Questions: One reason we don't have enough information to grow experts in social media is that the research (which is copious) does not pose or answer right questions in the right way and there has been insufficient investment to do the research properly. Hence we get reams of research about social media being sold for up to thousands of dollars, produced by companies solely in it for that money who either do not know how to ask the right questions, or won't spend the money to study BEHAVIOR rather than use survey results. Get this: Giving The Business to Social Media Research It's all of $3.49.
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Top : Experts: Social media expertise, gurus hard to find. Lots of fakes and charlatans
Articles:There are 15,740 Social Media Experts on Twitter - Deadly Funny! - by Pete CashmoreSocial media is growing fast, but how fast? Using Tweepsearch to search bios on Twitter profiles, blogger B. L. Ochman found there were 4,487 social media experts in May 2009. Today there are 15,740. (Added: 8-Dec-2010 Hits: 180 ) New Site Renders Social Media Experts Obsolete (A Do NOT MISS) - by na PR agencies and social media experts across the web, prepare to meet your match. This week sees the launch of WhatThe****IsMySocialMediaStrategy.com, a website that can tell startups to "identify relevant and compelling hooks", "humanise the brand by driving the audience conversations", and combine a bevy of many other pleonastic words to forge taglines that are utterly and completely devoid of meaning. Free of charge. (Added: 8-Dec-2010 Hits: 86 ) Social networking for business: Why Seth Godin is wrong - by na An attempt to dispute Seth Godin's comments about social media, and the value of "friends" or other social media elements for business. Best part: view the video from Seth. I'm with him. Business value of social media is hyped up nonsense. (Added: 28-Nov-2010 Hits: 97 ) Why social media gurus should be trampled by elephants - by Alex Blom Ask them what they do. The answer: I engage people, I create relationships, I add a layer of transparency. They may as well talk about ponies, rainbows and unicorns.Now, my friends, is when we run screaming. I can put glass dividers in an office and add transparency. Engaging people is useless without anchoring it to a brand and a business goal. Ask them specifically what they do and who they target (i.e. I create digital campaigns to demographic x to inform them of product y). Gold star if they can hit 1/2. Sometimes the sun, stars, moon and seas are perfectly aligned and somebody can answer this. (Added: 29-Aug-2010 Hits: 451 ) Social Media Experts Don't Exist (Good Stuff) - by Mark Evans That's right: social media experts don't exist. And you can say the same thing about social media gurus. For some, this might be a contentious or controversial statement given how much activity is happening and the growing number of people involved in the strategic and tactical pursuits. While not downplaying or dismissing the skills of these people, my point is that social media is still a nascent thing/activity/business that it's impossible for anyone to truly claim to be an expert or guru. (Added: 8-Dec-2010 Hits: 86 ) Nelson Jacobsen: Socialmedia experts, wait just another 4 years or 6,552 hours - by Nelson Jacobsen That was only 5.5 years ago and for someone to be considered an expert by criteria I thinks makes sense~ they would have to doing this at least since 2000 which we know Socialmedia didn't exist then. I don't know about you, I have been online for many years (I still have the same email address from May of 1995) and I would be hard pressed to say that I am a social media expert since these tools are so new. (Added: 14-Feb-2011 Hits: 85 ) Stop wasting time marketing on social media like EVERYONE else. - Marketing & Sales - by Galen Emanuele Social media might be just what your business needs. There's also a good chance it's a gigantic waste of your time and a poor substitute for a well developed, strategic marketing plan designed to reach your ideal target clients. Really excellent take on social media limitations and comments are great. Do NOT miss this one. (Added: 24-Mar-2011 Hits: 135 ) 10 Questions to Evaluate a Social Media Expert - by Ian Lurie If you know more than 5 people, chances are you now know someone who declares themselves a social media expert. How can you tell if someone's claim of expertise is legit? Here's my quick quiz. Ask each question and take the appropriate action: (Added: 8-Dec-2010 Hits: 98 )
Pages Updated On:
16-Nov-2011
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