Someone studying marketing at university, recently asked me what I thought a social media expert was.
I told her that I see social media experts as people, who understand how to make social media platforms deliver results for organizations and individuals.
However, she had a better answer, which I ‘think’ she intended as a joke. I just had to share it with you, because of you follow any of these people it might sound familiar.
“A social media expert is someone that talks about community, follows tens of thousands of people, then uses software, so they never have to listen to what the people they follow are saying!”
That made me smile!
Photo: Disco Stu
Great quote! That certainly seems to be the definition of someone who refers to themself as a “social media expert,” whether or not that is true is up for debate I suppose….
I’m surer there’s good and less good out there. I just found that definition to be funny.
I love it. That’s only barely a joke though – a bit too close to the knuckle for some people I can think of! Almost a definition of a social media celebrity too, perhaps.
I like to think of social media experts as people who understand that all human interaction is about connecting with people and happen to use social media as well as talking, phoning, writing and meeting with people.
I think the reason it’s funny Ash, is that we can probably all identify at least a few people in that quote.
Yep, you’re right there! I found it very funny.
So true – I made a similar comment on my blog and it came up in conversation again last week – Those with a proven track record can only really be seen as ‘Gurus’ or ‘Experts’
The other thing I find interesting Ant, is the way people are starting to become very sceptical about social media experts.
Thanks for the comment.
Sounds familiar!
I followed one to the “biggies” on Twitter recently and got a DM saying that they don’t automatically follow people who follow them, and that if I wanted to get their attention I should @mention them. I tried this once or twice with no response before figuring that it was all a big guru game. I have now unfollowed!
Ignoring you, after you contacted them is pretty anti-social, Christine.
Maybe they didn’t see your message, if they follow too many people?
Automatically following people back on Twitter is the biggest folly. One of Twitter’s best design decisions was to allow non-mutual friendships. It’s the best way to combat spam. The only reason why these “social media expert” scammers gain any traction is because of this stupid notion that it’s impolite to not follow complete strangers back.
Seems pretty snobbish to me, Christine – hope you didn’t stick with them too long
I did for a while, Danny, before figuring that they had plenty groupies, without me being another!
I think 2010 may be the tipping point, where more followers realise that they are being treated like sheep, by the ‘gurus’ that plague services like Twitter.
You could be right, Jim. What I’m noticing is that there’s a lot of strutting peacocks out there that appear to need to massage one another’s egos. I’m not sure how even imagining I could play that game would serve my business. I suspect other people will come to a similar conclusion?
Christine: Agreed!
I would like to stick to original meaning of an “expert” – a person who shows his/her expertise writing books which are sold. That is the real expert
Including social media area, of course.
Thanks for the feedback sir. Surely anyone can write a book though? With services like lulu.com, anyone can become a published author too.
Following up on Jim’s comment, the most popular book in the world (sales-wise) is the Bible in all its iterations. Yet this was written simply by scribes keeping the equivalent of a journal.
Would it be “correct” to call them experts, or simply decent writers that could keep a journal?
A true expert is someone who has studied their craft, learned it well, and become someone that others go to because they want to be taught. Teaching may come from direct lessons either personally or in a classroom or via a book or a lecture or perhaps today through social media.
But to your point, Jim, an expert who is more concerned with his next dollar than talking with the people in the media that he is supposed to be an expert in has either hit the limits of the media, himself, or is more concerned with monetizing the media than teaching.
Thanks for the feedback, my friend. I know you speak from experience, so thanks for sharing.
ROFL.
That is sooooo funny..!!!!
And soooo true..!!!
Its impossible for a social media expert like Chris Brogan to engage/listen to all his followers even he should.
Interesting observation Mohammed – thanks for sharing sir!
I love this quote.
Many “experts” who have tens of thousands of followers have paid for software to be able to auto follow people to gain followers and then unfollow them in they don’t follow back. This can gradually build thousands. These “experts” are not inundated with as many comments as we all may think.
Others who have built tens of thousands of followers for the advice that they give and the content they create find it far more difficult to respond to messages as they will have far more coming through.
Do an “@username” search on a variety of “experts” and see how the demand varies.
I really like the view of Scott Stratton (unmarketing) that following everyone back is not being transparent. Please see his blog post on it (can’t post link)
Each to their own though, everyone uses Twitter in their own way, but I think it is quite easy to pick out those who know what they talk about from those who don’t.
Rob
Some interesting points there, thanks Robert.
I’d love you to share that link with us – You should be able to post it here, there’s nothing here to stop links being posted.
Thanks for your feedback sir!!
Thanks Jim.
Here is the link.
http://www.un-marketing.com/blog/2010/01/05/saran-wrap-series-my-transparency-on-twitter/
Well worth a look and let me know what you think. Scott speaks a lot of sense in my opinion and has a sense of humour to match!
Thanks for that Robert – Much appreciated sir!!
*smile* very good reply and neatly follows on from yesterday’s thread.
I laughed then realized how true it is for so many claiming to be social media experts. Sad really. It takes the social out of social media if you use software!
When you follow tens of thousands of people, by default, you can’t REALLY follow anyone.
They need software, so they can spot messages from the few people they actually want to hear from.
She hit the nail on the head. There’s nothing social at all with these so-called experts. Anti-Social Media is a more suitable title. With no genuine conversation or listening taking place because of the large numbers of followers, with quantity chosen over quality, the conversation is reduced to lots of noise.
Well put Tony.
good day Jim C.,
If this defines a socialmedia expert!
I have another question for You..
What is a “WebMaster” ..!?
Cheers, :,>
Norman Flecha
STRAIGHTALK
http://www.straightalk.biz/index1.php
can any one explain ….how do you get the benefit if you have tons of followers??????????????
Awis – because most people are unaware that you can generate ‘followers’ using software, many view the number of people following someone as an indicator of their leadership.
Social media is quite new so everyone is claiming they are an expert at it.If I have to name someone as an expert in this field, for me it would be Jack Humphrey (fridaytrafficreport.com)
Very funny. I think the definition of a social media expert combines a few things. I think a social media expert is simply an “expert marketer”. Many of the top social media celebrities get it, but not many can explain why they’re successful with social media. I think Gary Vaynerchuk explains it well. People are successful in social media because they have a great product (i.e. good content) and secondly because they care for people. When people describe what a social media expert is, they’re just describing a “Good Marketer”. If you’re a good marketer, everything else is common sense. Use any and every tool there is to scale your product or content, period. But the key I think to the success of any popular marketer, social media expert is that they get the caring part. If you care enough to engage your audience (such as you do), you’ll instantly be liked and followed by many. I’m testing this theory out right now and my youtube channel is growing daily and my brand is growing daily. And my life is changing. Simply by caring more. Care for people, engage people, put out good content and you’ll win. Am I a social media expert? …not really, but I get it.
Thanks fir bringing up the following software point Jim. One of my construction contacts I met via Twitter asked me today why people were following him and the unfollowing the next day – they must be using the software to find people with ‘autofollow’ on.
It’s important to follow people who are of interest to you, and good if you have followers who follow others you don’t – an open-ended system which the opt-in nature of Twitter encourages. That way you all benefit from finding new people to engage with. While numbers help, it’s the quality of your network that really matters, so you can bring value to one another.
Anything automated, I do not support. Social Media is a good thing, and building relationships doesn’t come from automation. It comes naturally and is built with trust. A social media expert is somebody who dedicates time, trust and truth (3Ts), how I call it.
Cheers!
It may be a wood and trees scenario. Like all the media courses get signed up at University so the qualification devalues. Is it shrewd to think this is the next big thing..and in time, only the resolute survive?
Im still learning but list my positive experiences by the individual not the job title.
Love the quote!!
The term “social” in social media implies an interaction with others, but as your friend points out, the electronic systems controll the feedback part of the relationship.
Still, social media is a fantastic outreach tool to attract attention. It can’t however, make a sale.