Posts
Social media experts are the new Satan. Who else gets more vitriol than these guys/gals? Hell, B.L. Ochman has eviscerated them on her blog just by checking out their bios on twitter.
Are these accusations merited? In most cases, absolutely. However, I don't think that these individuals are worthy of such attention and vitriol being paid to them. After all, each time you piss off a David Armano? You get link juice.
1. They get more traffic and have more followers.
Metrics for social media and community initiatives are still tough to convey to a lay person. They aren't simple and involve more than just a simple ROI number. In the absence of knowledge about metrics? Simple numbers and traffic win the day over complicated flow charts.
No one wants to admit they don't understand what value metrics have. Thus, most clients end up taking these experts at their word. After all, they wouldn't want to look stupid now would they?
Lesson: Understand how to break your approach and metrics into bite sized pieces of information.
2. They probably make more money than you.
This doesn't take much rocket science. The typical marketer at a mid-level agency position makes about $45,000-80,000 a year. An independent Social Media expert can write their own ticket dependent on their business development skills. (This is regardless of actual expertise.)
Lesson: Have a great idea? Run with it. The best ideas usually don't start with "I asked my boss..."
3. They maximize their knowledge, investments and time.
So what if they don't know about community dynamics and how to properly implement a CRM for clients. Most social media experts have the expertise to set up an RSS feed, open a twitter account and start a blog. After that? It gets too complicated.
But, does it matter? After all, they aren't going after Kraft or IBM. They're going AKC Liquor and the local House of Pizza. These companies are still trying to catch up to Web 1.0, what makes you think that they will be able to grasp the intricacies of community and social marketing when the Fortune 500 is still figuring this out as well.
Lesson: Smaller fish=Bigger Rewards.
4. They don't measure anything.
We'd all be pretty successful if we didn't have to show anything in terms of tangible results. Seriously.
Lesson: Measure stuff.
5. They have a cult.
Ever notice that the typical blog of an SM expert is littered with 30-40 comments? Usually this "expert" has surrounded themselves with a bunch of similarly minded individuals. A small group of 5-10 people can band together and legitimize each other for their own personal gain. This is a result of a reciprocity on an organized scale. They've effectively crowdsourced their own credibility.
Lesson: Build a legitimate community. Earn their trust through actions, not reciprocity.
6. The most important: Their clients think they are geniuses.
At the end of the day? This is the only metric that actually matters. If clients aren't going to do the due diligence to truly vet and understand the responsibilities for a community position? They are going to think that the individual guiding them through the web 2.0 wilderness is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Lesson: Your clients are only as smart as you make them.
Is this fair? Nope, it's just reality. Your only choice is to provide the best solutions, research and integration possible for your clients. Don't worry about the SM Gurus. They'll eventually fall out of favor, but not before they've pocketed some serious cash.
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Share Alike
No comments:
Post a Comment