Social media is an important piece of the marketing puzzle for small to mid-size businesses, particularly with regard to search, viral, and direct marketing. But when I hear the expression "Social Media Expert" I think of my 14 year old daughter. She'd be well within her rights to promote herself as a Babysitting Expert or Hair Flattening Expert.
I myself am a Fried Egg Sandwich Expert, Uno (card game) Expert, and "This guy walks into a bar..." Joke Expert, among many other areas of expertise (including social media). But what are the barriers to entry for this expertise? What degrees, licenses, or certificates were earned or bestowed? What sanctioning bodies validated this expertise? By what objective means could a prospective client evaluate my purported social media "expertise?"
When I think about helping my clients succeed and protecting their time & money in an sea of IT, web and marketing choices, what concerns me more than all the self anointed social media experts are the ones actively claiming that investing in social media marketing guarantees business success. Guaranteed success? Really?
Unlike many IT/web/marketing writers who tend to use exaggeration and hyperbole for dramatic effect, many self proclaimed social media experts apparently believe their own hype. This is reflected in their breezy, buzzword laden blogs and business media articles. It entices without really informing. It's long on self promotion and short on strategy, essentially vague, and ultimately misleading. The take-away seems to be that one social media expert's pixie dust is better than the other experts' pixie dust.
I have the good fortune to know more than a few bona fide experts across a wide range of IT, web, and online marketing disciplines. There's one thing they all have in common. When there's a challenge or puzzle to be understood or addressed, they don't pick up one piece, wave it around, proclaim that they've solved the puzzle, and then try to sell everyone "the answer."
Real experts look at the whole puzzle and bring their proven skills & experience to bear on the client's challenges or objectives. I read a lot of business media both online and offline. I don't see much in the way of cohesive marketing strategy, planning guidance, or other value adds coming from the social media experts. I don't buy it on blind faith, so why should any small to mid-size business? It's a matter of due diligence and putting social media related vendors through the same basic qualifying process that other IT, web, or marketing vendors have to go through one way or another.
My intent is not to diminish the value of social media related marketing or those who practice it. It's simply to question popular perceptions of social media's role in business marketing and those who shape these perceptions. Every successful business builds its own unique marketing success story and good consultants can play a huge positive role. But regardless of whether social media is a centerpiece or a place setting in your marketing mix, there are no guarantees. The best planning and strategy fail in the absence of the proven skills and experience necessary to execute the plan.
Social media is everywhere and it's here to stay. It will continue to rapidly change, grow, and inevitably touch most if not all pieces of your marketing mix. By all means, give social media due weight in your marketing strategy. But scrutinize its role as you would any other facet of your marketing plan and focus on measurable results.
Exempt social media "experts" from upfront due diligence at your own risk.