I am becoming concerned by the number of social media experts / digital strategists that are popping up. My opinion is that none of us are experts just yet as the medium evolves so quickly, yet I am starting to see a number of people espouse their expertise on the basis of having a lot of connections on Facebook/Twitter etc.
If we were to judge expertise simply by the number of people who recognise their name, then George W. Bush would be regarded as a political genius, when clearly he is not.
The line between online marketing professionals and online marketing enthusiasts is becoming very blurred.
So how does a brand know if they are dealing with a professional or simply an enthusaist? Here are some tips:
1. Ask the person for real world examples where they have created an online strategy that has really transformed a company. It is fine for someone to come along and say "the future is in social media," but ask for real world examples.
2. Ask for contact details of people that they have truly helped in the business world. Not email addresses, phone numbers.
3. If they spend a lot of time participating in social media, ask yourself how much time they actually spend devising strategies. Is there a reason that they have so much free time?
4. Ask them what marketing philosophies they adhere to. This is a simople way to sort out the professionals from the enthusiasts.
5. Ask them about some practical problems you have, and how they would solve them. You need someone who is prepared to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty, not just a consultant that has no emotional buy-in.
Just because someone is active at social media does not mean they are any good. Someone can play golf their whole life, but will still never get close to shooting a par round. Quality isn't measured by volume or level of participation: it is all about a practical record and results.
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3 comments:
Peter, you're right. There are a lot of questionable "experts" emerging. But there are also a bunch of us who have been doing this sort of thing for a while.
Experience in web applications and development, marketing, communications strategy, community building, business communications, change management, business analysis and similar disciplines have all led to people like me, Laurel Papworth, Lee Hopkins, Trevor Cook, Michael Specht and others who all demonstrably know what we're talking about focussing a significant part of our work on social media and social networking strategy and implementation.
Your post has a feel of "trust nobody", and I don't think that's quite right. Clients and agencies should both be looking to engage with people who understand new and established ways of communication - inside organisations and across the wall. There are a lot of social media campaigns that look ill-conceived because the client or the agency hasn't talked to someone who understands the medium and its attendant challenges. I'd suggest more agency people need to be prepared to turn to people who are specialists and bring them in from time to time.
And yes. Track record is key. Some of us have one.
Hi Stephen
I completely agree with you. There are the few that have the experience, and the people you have mentioned are an excellent representation.
The problem that we now face is also the opportunity - the level playing field that the web offers. So many times I come across new clients that have been experimented on by social media marketers, and they end up investing for nothing, and are then burnt.
I am not saying there is a need for certification, that would be impractical, however it does cause confusion in the marketplace.
My hope is that quality will win in the end.
Agree, but isn't expertise relative?
You're right, false expertise is not accurate of course, but those who invest time & test, test, test have more knowlegde/expertise than overall and can advise on these new oppertunities.
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