A Social Media Conspiracy Theory via The Kaiser Edition

The Kaiser Edition has posted some very insightful and interesting thoughts on the whole "social media" epidemic that is sweeping through the marketing world. On top of it being those things, it's also pretty entertaining.

It lines up with something I've been thinking about lately too. There are a lot of people out there who claim to be social media strategists and experts simply because they're doing some of these things themselves.

Just because you're doing something doesn't mean you're qualified to advise people on it. I know a lot of people who technically can drive a car but I'd never want them to try to teach someone else how to do it.

Anyway, give the presentation a browse. It's thought-provoking at a minimum.

You can also find it on SlideShare if you prefer to view it there.

Comments

[Paul Marobella]

Paul,

I have been asking myself this same question about what makes an expert? Does going to a few seminars, messing around with Twitter at the expense of your marriage and having a Facebook page make you an expert? I think not. Even though in our new world, its usually only the past year or two that matters, having that on a solid foundation of results-based consulting with relevant brands makes someone worth paying a dollar for. If Social Media is a viable channel for a brand to be communicating within to create VALUE for themselves, then great.

As marketers, it is our duty to understand the burgeoning channels. But, let's call out the snake oil salespeople with 5,000 Twitter friends and a Facebook page.

Paul M

[Chris Wexler]

This conversation has a strong parallel to the start of the Internet. In 1996, the guy that had a modem at home became, by default, the chief technology officer in the organization. Some were worthy, some were not.

As a result, some companies fell behind, and other jumped ahead in the space. But it took years to figure that out. It will be the same in this space. Simply put, I think most social media "experts" don't offer solutions, and simply point at the phenomenon and say, "They are talking about you, you better get involved! Its a revolution!"

Unless the "expert" offers an actionable road map, with benchmarks, you can't judge their validity and you can't learn to improve on your efforts. The problem is that the market hasn't figured out benchmarks yet.

So the best "social media experts" will speak in language you can understand (not hide behind jargon), use basic marketing principles applied to the new situation (strategy not tactics), and be able to show you how it all connects. Otherwise you might be buying snake oil.