Here an expert, there an expert…everywhere an expert
April 2nd, 2009 | Author: Beth Harte
Yes indeed, I am about to hop on the bandwagon or beat a dead horse…whichever you prefer to see this as. Recently interesting conversations have bubbled up over at Josh Hallett’s, Mack Collier’s and Lisa Hoffmann’s blogs on the topic of social media experts.
Josh’s take is that if, as a social media expert, if you can’t answer the following:
- Do you have any recent examples of how you’ve executed a program for a client?
- How are you measuring the output/outcomes of this program?
Why should anyone listen to what they have to say.
Mack’s take is that there are those who think they can implement social media & get paid because they have a client list but when it comes down to it; their social media campaigns well…aren’t very social. And then there are those who truly do understand social media, have proven their social media skills with their own blogs, networks, etc., but who are not overtly self-promotional or touting a large client list.
Lisa’s take is that it’s okay to call yourself an expert, because if you don’t the charlatans will take over.
I hope I understood their points correctly…as I agree with all three (correct me if I am wrong, thanks!).
Here’s my take as a new marketing & social media consultant…
Even with 15 years of deep marketing (all the 4Ps of marketing, not just communications) experience and over seven years of teaching as an adjunct marketing & PR professor, I am not expert. Why? Because in my mind if I become an expert I fear that I will have stopped learning. And that is something I never want to happen. Perhaps that just my own personal issue… I fear complacency like the plague.
As marketers, we look at Philip Kotler as a marketing expert, a title rightly deserved. He has worked for decades on analyzing and implementing highly strategic and complicated marketing programs. (BTW, if you just had to Google Kotler, don’t ever called yourself a “social media ‘marketing’ expert” in my presence, okay? Thanks in advance.) But now that social media is flipping marketing on its head…is he still an expert if he isn’t engaged in or examining the impacts of social media & marketing? (This is just meant to be an example, absolutely no disrespect to my superhero!) My point is this; we are in an evolving space. And social media is mainly a communications channel that doesn’t have to fit into marketing; it could work best in customer service or operations. That said, it takes someone with years of business and marketing acumen to understand that and to consult on strategic and tactical execution. Call them experts if you will.
But! If you want to put social media into the marketing bucket and call yourself a social media expert, you better understand how it fits into a marketing plan and how to write measureable plans around it. (But let’s not fool ourselves either. Most marketers don’t know how to write marketing plans and a lot of companies don’t have them either.)
And to jump on an old soapbox, this expert conversation is specifically the reason I don’t like the term “social media marketing.” Lots of folks call themselves “social media marketing experts” without ever having taken a marketing class or a marketing job in their lives. Just because you “get” Twitter/Facebook doesn’t mean you understand how to implement either into strategic marketing goals/objectives…or corporate goals for that matter. And it surely doesn’t make you a marketing expert either. Okay, hopping off the soapbox.
And finally, I do want to address the client list issue that was kicked around. As a new consultant, I don’t have a large client list or any case studies…and I think that is realistic. That said, by the conversation recently had, you’d think doesn’t count for much even given my years of experience and education (or anyone else’s for that matter).
The funny thing is…I haven’t come across one case study of a social media consultant or agency that has fundamentally turned a company around (i.e. from a corporate, marketing or customer communications perspective) utilizing their ‘expert’ skills. Most of the social media experts who are turning companies around are usually employed by those companies (thinking about Dell, Comcast, Zappos, etc.). And most of the campaigns have been just that…campaigns. If there are case studies of sustainable, on-going, game changing social media efforts, please share them with us. I for one would like to know about them.
Another thought to ponder is this…
As a client-side marketer for many moons, I have never once asked a vendor for a case study (we all know they are mostly pumped up bunk anyway). I have though asked for examples, samples, references, and walk-throughs (as in ‘walk me through this campaign’), etc. Mainly it’s because I understand marketing and can smell agency BS a mile away, which becomes totally apparent when they can’t detail a campaign.
Part of me wonders if this need for all these case studies is so that social media “experts” can learn from those who walked before them in an effort to repeat the same. And that, my friends, does not make an expert it makes a copycat.
What do you think about this whole social media expert conversation? Am I missing the point? Do corporations require large, well-known client lists and lots of case studies to hire consultants? Or do they want to just work with people who are passionate about helping them meet their goals/objectives/solve a challenge? What’s your experience (either corporate or agency)?
How can we legitimize who really understands social media? Or can’t we?
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Excellent post Beth.
I think you hit on a few points I always find myself talking about:
1) How can anyone be an expert in a field that will be different again next week? Experienced? Yes, Expert? A term that should always be applied by a 2nd party about you, not by you about yourself.
2) Social Media marketing campaigns don’t replace the traditional marketing – they are a *part* of a good marketing strategy. That means the person you are talking to has to get *both* Social Media AND Marketing – not just one or the other… and it won’t be “the campaign that saved the company!” it will be “the campaign that added value to the company’s marketing strategy.”
We’re bloggers though – so of course this will get posted, discussed, dissected, analyzed and rewritten in multiple places.
I think you’ve hit a lot of great points here though.
Only thing I think everyone is kind of missing? Self-promotion is not the same thing as marketing. Yes, you can push yourself or your agency – but can you actually *market* for your client, or help them to market?
Well, I know YOU can… I meant can our hypothetical “SMM expert”
Lucretia Pruitt’s last blog post..Thank Heavens it’s Only Once a Year (opinion)
Great title and wonderful post! And I love that you have a solid marketing background yet still hesitate to call yourself an expert. You’re so right: People referring to themselves as “expert” marks the end of their learning. That humility is what’s missing today in social media and marketing.
Not that everyone falls in this category, but most of the time when I come across someone who claims to be a “social media expert” it really makes them look questionable. As though they seem to be grabbing at the designation a little too quickly. A true marketer with a solid foundation would have the confidence to stand on their own merit as a marketer and not need to add “social media expert” to the end of their name, before the field has even fully materialized! Again, great post.
You might like this: “Social Media Experts Are Scary” http://tr.im/experts
@michelletripp
Michelle Tripp’s last blog post..Ghost Tweeting is the Milli Vanilli of Web 3.0.
As a small business I just want to address your latter question regarding what clients want.
In my opinion, if you are knowledgeable and more importantly passionate about what you do, then you will win business over the larger corpoarte bods.
As small businesses, one of our USP’s is our passion and willingness to go the extra mile every time. The corporate bods don’t tend to offer the same.
Do experts exist? Of course they do, but they should be experienced first, then expert second!!
Beth – Great points that to ponder especially on a rainy day in Atlanta. I agree with you .. to be successful as marketing strategy social media must be incorporated and support the master marketing plan. So it takes knowledge on both side of the fence to do it right and well.
My experience has been yes, clients gravitate to people whom they trust (shades of social media!). However, frequently when it comes to social media marketing (I do believe that social media is strategy under the wider umbrella of Marketing.) they’ll trade off experience in social media and/or marketing with the illusion that their agency understands both elements. The results too many times are disappointment and disillusion with social media.
As for case studies, they’ve been a tool for both education and a great way to tell result ’stories’ for many years .. one more tactic in a marketer’s tool box. However, as you indicated success is in the grit and details which are usually part of the secret formula .. guarded as tightly as the Coke recipe.
Beth – I’m confused. Why do you write about your own expertise under the heading of dead horse beating? It’s not clear to me what exactly you’re sharing with us here. Is it about people falsely calling themselves ‘experts’ or about SMM being ineffective, or are you asking what kind of pitch to make to corporations as a marketing professional?
Mary H Ruth’s last blog post..Time, money, patience
Nice post. This is a challenging post to comment on without avoiding labels or looking like you are blowing your own trumpet.
Whilst the use of language in self promotion is important, I do feel that you are right when you say results are the best measure. It is for other people to access your value and to profess your worth or ability.
As every business has its own unique business rules and objectives and the “disciplines” of social media and marketing are so vast and fluid, professing your expert status within a narrow segment of social media can expose your limited scope.
If you look at the wefollow website and search the #socialmedia there are 9,904,475 profiles. If you look under #enterprisesocialmedia there are 564.
I like your focus on process and integration with all marketing disciplines. Surely this is the only way to achieve results and ensure relevance?
@MaryHRuth, you might want to go read Josh’s, Mack’s and Lisa’s posts…then it might make sense.
Great post, Beth. My hurried response:
I totally get your sentiments about being called an “expert” because I feel exactly the same way. However, I see Lisa’s point, as well – there are SO MANY snake oil salesmen out there calling themselves experts that it’s unfortunate. It also makes me madder than a wet hen to see them speaking at conferences and grabbing client work undeserved!
While this may only be half-baked (I’m birthing this idea as I write it) I think of SM expertise along a bit of a “Social Media Engagement Continuum” (TM Live Path 2009) LOL! In my head it looks something like this:
CLUELESS –> EXPERIMENTER –>LIFESTYLER –>IMMERSED –> INFLUENCER
CLUELESS users are those who may be aware of the term but have no first-hand understanding of what it implies.
EXPERIMENTERS understand the social media definition and have begun to play with best-of-breed tools (top tools) for life/work.
LIFESTYLERS have between 1-3 regular social media channels well integrated into their DAILY lifestyle. They may also have some social media experience at a corporate level as a community manager, web manager or marketer. Social media “Posers” we’ve discussed really fall into the experimenter/lifestyle zone because they have JUST enough experience to BS their way through a client presentation but not enough to drive significant success.
IMMERSED users have all of the above plus extensive personal and professional knowledge of social media tools and services. They understand the various categories of apps and tools, key players in SM, and they have demonstrable experience working with these tools for personal, business and client use. They also have a strong network of peers who are equally immersed in social media and engage in regular transparent dialog on best practices and execution.
INFLUENCERS (couldn’t think of a better term) have all the above PLUS very extensive experience working with an array of social media applications and tools in every category. They have experience developing social media applications, weighing in at some level a test capacity on developing tools and services. They understand the integration complexities of using SM tools, when it’s appropriate to develop something custom vs. out-of-the box, the application of social media for use internally within an organization and the myriad of technologies that can be used to solve client/customer challenges. They are actively engaged with a network of other influentials in developing and expanding next generation tools. While at this level, they may specialize in specific “categories” of SM, they can speak authoritatively about the specific application of tools in various client and enterprise environments and hold their own with analysts and venture capitalists.
Those of us immersed or influential in social media are aware of the REVOLUTIONARY nature of Social Media tools. We’re also aware of the fact of the cultural, operational and leadership barriers that impede the effective use of those tools within the clients we serve.
Truth be told, we face an unpleasant reality at times: Many of the clients we serve are smack in the middle of an EVOLUTION. They are moving from post-industrial product-centered business models, which are risk-adverse, silo-driven, not structured for strong collaboration, transparency and customer discourse —> TO more customer-centric operational models which embrace a greater level of risk, are more transparent, more customer centric and more agile. These models are better equipped to EMBRACE social media – but it takes time to get there.
Sometimes the best success for me is being truly influential in getting my clients to move from CLUELESS to IMMERSED — educated, mobilized, empowered, MOVING, actively dialoging, learning, measuring and thinking.
So we wait for the true experts will be revealed as they leave their fingerprints and legacy behind, right?
Here’s Kathy Sierra’s take on becoming an expert:
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/03/how_to_be_an_ex.html
Using the ‘there must be a better way’ template to recognizing experts, I think the label applies to many of the people that are knowledgeable in the social media space. People that are constantly trying new tools and strategies, that are constantly looking for a better way to manage and grow their networks.
These are the people that I view as the experts. I don’t see Chris Brogan as being an expert because he has a lot of influence, but because he is constantly looking for the bleeding edge, and pushing past it. He is constantly experimenting with new forms of sponsorships and monetization, etc., and that means he can then better explain to client what does, and does not work.
To me, if you are going to put yourself out there as an expert at creating vibrant blogs for clients, you’d better have an active and engaged readership at your own blog. If you can’t create such a blog for yourself, how can you do it for my company?
Beth
As usual, a brilliant post. I think we could learn a lot from doctors and lawyers (yes lawyers).
In both cases they call their work a “practice”
Why? Because in law and medicine, you are always learning and practicing because there is no one way to do anything in those worlds.
Sounds strangely appropriate don’t you think?
So instead of everyone calling themselves experts, why don’t we just all agree to say we “practice social media” for a living and call it a day. As for case studies – if you have them, great. They do show you’ve actually done something in this space but as I noted on Mack’s post, not having them shouldn’t be a reason to not consider a SM consultant.
At the end of the day, you have to be able to look across the table at your SM Consultant and think, yea, I trust them. They can get it done. They get it. Don’t need no case study to do that.
My 02. @TomMartin
Tom Martin’s last blog post..It’s all about the opening weekend
You have taken on a big topic here, and done a thought provoking job as usual. Among the many useful tidbits in your post is one that struck a chord, and one I think was left out of Leigh Durst’s thoughtful response.
Having 19 years of experience in the PR world, balanced with immersion in the social media space CAN be a sweet spot that works for the small business owner selecting a PR/marketing partner. This type of PR/Marketer may have a depth of business expereince, or knowledge that helps to integrate social media into larger company goals, instead of focusign on Social Media as the new ‘must do’ thing.
On rereading your post, you do mention it. The real world experience of creating an integrated PR/Marketing communications plan and executing various aspects of them durig one’s carrer, can add dimension or depth to a PR Pro’s work; on the other hand it can leave them stuck in a rut, if not coupled with experience in the social media world. I ‘lurked’ and read and absorbed and watched for a long time before I began to actually merge the two. I wish I had started sooner.
It is true that we are all learning, and the rules of the game keep changing.
CathyWebSavvyPR’s last blog post..Blogs as a Useful Business Tool
You can always use the network news definition. An “expert” is anyone willing to go on TV and shout about something.
Excellent post.
I couldn’t agree more with you never wanting to be complacent, I’m the same way. You never want to have the think to yourself when walking into a room, “I have arrived.” Always be ready and open to learn-nobody has all the answers. There are always fresh ideas and you’re right, SM is constantly evolving.
On the lighter side, as I was reading the comments, Tom Martin’s struck me. I think a our problem actually could be linguistic or semantics based, at least in part.
You are a lawyer or a doctor or a plumber or a consultant or a teacher, they are all nouns. PR or public relations, marketing & the term social media are words that describe what a person does.
Before the recent questioning of the word ‘expert,’ the descriptor would have been PR or marketing erson, professional, staffer, consultant, or specialist; sometimes just a marketer or publicist. I recently saw a blog post that said “A PR said, “xyz site was useful.”" Sounds weird, right.
Okay, so I wish the question were as simple as finding the right descriptive term. I forget which social media blogger (you’ll note that I carefully sidestepped the term expert again) said that the online social media landscape is kind of like America’s old West with lot’s of folks riding and swaggering into town, and few sherifs to handle them. Or as I might envision- it’s more like when you decided to move your family out West. You hired a wagon train drover, who told you what supplies you needed and how much and for how long. And you trusted them, and you lived or died on the grassy plains or high mountains. At least with 21st century marketing, we can do a lot more research on who we are hiring, to lead us into this new online ladscape.
CathyWebSavvyPR’s last blog post..Blogs as a Useful Business Tool
Isn’t it a circle of a problem, though …? People started referring to themselves as “experts” when their own marketing consultants, advisors, and coaches started telling them that “positioning yourself as an expert is the way to get clients.” “Expert” became the common term for any individual practitioner with a distinct opinion or method (as opposed to a sort of technician.)
I’m also intrigued by the response the use of the term triggers in some circles and not others. For instance, when I worked in fitness, I specialized in “strength”, while some colleagues specialized in “endurance.” The statement, “Oh, you want to train for a marathon. So-and-so is the expert in that,” was not controversial.
There seems to be a bit of the phenomenon in this context of dissing “experts” as a path to legitimizing/professionalizing/elevating the specialty – and also, of shifting the balance of power away from upstarts (regardless of their actual qualifications) and to people with whatever existing credentials give them standing to diss.
It’s interesting that you are reluctant to call yourself an expert because you don’t want to stop learning. An expert is constantly learning!
A social media expert is an expert because they have fingers on the pulse of the latest happenings and innovations. They’re an expert because that is their expertise. They’re an expert because they are familiar with ways to access many of the audiences and communities online, even before they have clients who need that access. They’re an expert because they get the *social* part.
This is reminding me of the discussion in Pride & Prejudice of what constitutes ‘an accomplished woman’, lol.
Sarah Fowler’s last blog post..SarahFowler: Off to youngest sister’s end-of-school year presentation. Catch you on the flip side, tweeps!
Not sure I agree with your expert definition but none the less. Part of the issue is the fact that things are moving so fast online and the majority of business owners and folks outside the heavy web users are having a real hard time grasping what is going on and it is getting worse. If you take that premise it is no wonder that anyone can be a social media expert if you know a little bit about the subject and to be honest someone needs to be out talking about the subject even if they are not years long experts.
I consider myself a neophyte but talking to clients and prospects i am their expert with many of their questions – I refer out many questions but they don’t even know how to get started.
Rick Simmons’s last blog post..Are people talking (tweeting) about you?
Just to be clear… I didn’t give a definition of an expert here (but if you want one, hop on over to Lisa Hoffmann’s blog, she shared one straight out of the dictionary!).
I gave an example of a traditional marketing expert: Philip Kotler. And, if Kotler isn’t a marketing expert …well then, no one is and we are all in trouble.
As for who’s an expert and who isn’t…I am leaving that up to you all to decide.
Beth-
I loved this line: “In my mind if I become an expert I fear that I will have stopped learning.”
Yes, per some of the prior comments “experts” learn continuously. But what I saw in your post and in this line in particular is that way too often along with the designation (self acclaimed or otherwise) of “expert” a change in learning occurs.
Specifically, one begins to focus on “learning” about (only) what supports his/her expertise. Case in point: In a study by Harvard’s David Godes, he finds that “experts tend to pass on negative referrals LESS frequently than non-experts.” The hypothesis is that an expert who more often often than not tells you, from experience, what does *not* work is at the same sending an odd message about his/her ability to choose wisely in the first place. Evidently then, experts filter their own commentary to maintain the appearance of having expertise. This directly impacts their ability to learn.
For my own part, I believe that expertise–and especially around the application of the Social Web and social media to the disciplines of business and marketing–is evidenced not by the individual or a certificate but rather by the crowd.
Want to know if someone is a social media expert? Google her/his name combined with the term “social media” and see what comes back. Do a search of Twitter and see what the crowd has to say. Then decide for yourself, based on the collective wisdom. And yes, per Josh a few examples of actual work and the quantitative measurement to back up claims of success helps too!
Another great post.
I think the real issue here is that a lot of people have finally discovered social media and think they really are experts. They might even be experts in particular tactics, but there is an overall lack of strategic insight. I like Leigh’s idea of stages, though we could argue over the semantics of each category and what it includes.
This move toward people calling themselves “experts” really started to happen when Twitter became popular (mid 2007) and became more pronounced in 2008.
Funny thing is that for those that have been around awhile (which is measured in years rather than decades because social media is so new), there is dismay that so many people are calling themselves experts who haven’t even earned their street cred yet.
On the other hand, just being around for a long time doesn’t make one an expert either. I have always found that in public relations, which I am sure is much like marketing, the mantra has always been “What have you done for me lately?” That was the same before social media as it is after social media. Clients look for results, and in this economic environment that will become even more pronounced.
Kami Huyse’s last blog post..Social Media Provides the Tools to Make Positive Change
Stimulating post and amazing comments, as always! I think we should take a moment to think about this issue from the perspective of the potential client, who understands that they know nothing about social media. I know some Fortune 500 marketing execs, and they are confused.
Beyond the obvious charlatans, these folks are being approached aggressively by “Internet Marketers,” who have experience in related areas, can impress the ignorant with things like large follower numbers, and have no problem calling themselves experts. They aren’t necessarily without skills, but of course what many of these people (quite specifically) are espousing and counseling their clients to do could change the culture of social media entirely.
On the other hand, this potential client also speaks to a consultant with a background in marketing who has notable social media experience, but who denies being an expert. This person explains that “no one can really say where all this is going” and says there’s no such thing as an expert.
For a client who just wants answers, which consultant is more appealing? If all the social media purists — those who have been here since the beginning and truly know the ins and outs of this medium and its nuances — recoil whenever expertise is implied, how can we expect the uninitiated understand this?
So, whether you use case studies and can boast a large client list, or not, if you’re one of these people and you value social media as it is today, I think you owe it to all of us to step up and take the credit you rightfully deserve. Continual learning is the hallmark of an expert, BTW.
Beth: you are an expert, like it or not.
Kellye Crane’s last blog post..PR Consultants: Indulge in the Guilty Pleasure
I posted a blog on this very topic just last week. (http://karinonmarketing.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/everyones-an-expert/ )
Personally, I just can’t stand the word. I’ve worked with people who’ve been in marketing for 20 + years and I still wouldn’t call them an expert. And I’ve worked with savants who have been doing something less than a year and have demonstrated a proficiency that I would inherently trust.
The big problem with misuse of this word is that it is one that we typically associate with trust. People trust experts. They’ve got expert advice. Therefore, they know more than me.
But nowadays they don’t. And unfortunately, people who have listened to “experts” and gotten burned often blame all experts rather than assuming that “expert” didn’t know what they were talking about.
The best response to the expert concern is to ask others to question you. Am I an expert? You be the judge. Ask me questions. See what I say. Test it against what you already know. See if it makes sense. Take baby steps and develop a relationship with me, so that you can see in stages how much I know and extend the trust level as those stages develop.
And leave the debates for word definitions to the English scholars.
Thanks.
Wouldn’t it be great (and more descriptive and more honest) if the terms people used to identify themselves reflected the fact that when it comes to social media, we’re looking through the other end of the telescope? There’s much that comes under the heading of “We flat just don’t know.”
Not that I’m suggesting that any of these would “take,” but I’d love to see someone confidently adopt a label like Social Media Explorer, Social Media Test Pilot, Social Media Scientist or Social Media Prognosticator.
(offered with tongue ever-so-slightly in cheek)
Karin – after all the responses I like yours – the reality is expert is not defined by the person but by the receiver of the information.
Rick Simmons’s last blog post..Are people talking (tweeting) about you?
So true, Beth! I think it more takes someone with marketing and business experience who gets into social media than a technologist or “Web guy” who tries to learn marketing and business.
Case in point … LinkedIn lists 7,084 results for “social media expert.” Really???
[...] coming up this week, and as usual, one click led to another which landed me on her blog about Social Media Experts and the growing practice of describing one’s self as an expert. Also as usual, my comment got [...]
@LucretiaPruitt, that’s a great point about self-promotion. As Lee Oden commented on Mack’s post, “If a marketer can’t effectively promote themselves, then how in the world could they effectively promote someone else?” Some might scoff at that, but I think it’s true. And I don’t think self-promotion as in blowing one’s horn…but as in marketing and using all the tools at our disposal to make sure we are found (traditional) or having conversations (social) and both need to be part of an overall marketing plan.
@MichelleTripp, ah, yes…humility. I know a few social media “experts” who are definitely lacking in that area. Oh wait, did I just say that out loud? Sorry…
@AndyHeadworth, good point. And I hope you’re right…that companies taket passion over a fancy dog & pony show.
@Toby, you nailed it…Case studies rarely divulge the “how.” And that’s what I think renders a lot of them useless. But, can you blame a company? Of course not…who’s going to give away their secret sauce to their competitors? So, can we stop with the “you MUST have a gazillion social media case studies” nonsense?! Just tell the stories…face-to-face.
@LeighDurst, like I told you…I love how you think. Thank you so much for going the extra mile here…and for making sense out of the different levels folks might be at when it comes to social media. Folks, to see where Leigh has taken her thoughts, check out: http://livepath.blogspot.com/2009/04/social-media-engagement-continuum-what.html (there’s also a great visual that goes along with it!)
“So we wait for the true experts will be revealed as they leave their fingerprints and legacy behind, right?” Yes, I’d think so.
@MackCollier, great point. Also, I think it’s interesting to point out that we do have to experiment on ourselves to better be able to tell clients what may or may not work for them. But that said, I still ultimately think it’s up to their community to make that determination. That’s why we need to not be afraid of planning, testing, measuring and tweaking. Will companies have the guts/patience for that…only time will tell.
@TomMartin, always making sense, aren’t you?!
I’ll be a marketing/social media practitioner any day.
@CathyWebSavvyPR, the rut is what all professionals should fear…but I see so many getting stuck. I think it’s the marketing, PR, communications folks who do aim to constantly learn, try and combine their skills that will eventually earn the title of ‘expert’ from others.
@KenWheaton, nice!
@BarbaraSaunders, it is a circular problem. I like your fitness example…but most “experts” at my gym are certified in their area of expertise. We’ve had a discussion about marketing certification before on Twitter and it went round and round. That said, the PRSA and IABC offer accreditations that do add value to someone’s level of expertise.
@SarahFowler, only you would combine a discussion about social media experts with Jane Austen! You totally made me smile…Love it!!!
@RickSimmons, isn’t that a sign of a good consultant though? If you don’t know the answer, you’ll find someone who does. And with social networking, that can be done sooner than later.
@DaveEvans, this is why I hang around smart folks like you! I would have never thought about it that way, ever. Thanks for enlightening us on another side of being an expert. I think I’ll stick with learning everyday and leaving any designations of what I am to other people.
@KamiHuyse, exactly! Wearing both hats, that’s the norm for marketing & PR. It never matters if you executed brilliantly on a PR or marketing strategy…it only matters if you can keep doing it. And as you know, it’s never just “okay, let’s sit back for the results.” Sometimes you haven’t even finished up one campaign (or three!) before it’s time to kick off another. The patience of a company for results is like a dog with a bone.
@KellyeCrane, Your example is the exact reason I wrote the Four Faces of Social Media. I truly do fear that Internet Marketers and SEO folks out there will continually push numbers, gaming the system and linking companies to death and that will become the norm of social media. You are right, social media leaders (see how I sidestepped the word expert?!) need to step up and keep companies from being bamboozled (I seem to really like that word these days) because in the end, it’s the customer that suffers while the swindler is home with a fat back account. Okay, thanks for putting me on that rant!
And thanks for the compliment…the check is in the mail.
@KarinOliver-Kreft, I couldn’t have said it better myself and it’s worth repeating!
“The best response to the expert concern is to ask others to question you. Am I an expert? You be the judge. Ask me questions. See what I say. Test it against what you already know. See if it makes sense. Take baby steps and develop a relationship with me, so that you can see in stages how much I know and extend the trust level as those stages develop.”
(Hmmm, sounds familiar, but can’t put my finger on it, social something…)
Folks, check out Karin’s post: http://karinonmarketing.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/everyones-an-expert/ There’s a very interesting lesson there… worth the read.
@DavePool, Oh, oh! Can I be a social media pathfinder?
@MatthewSnodgrass, Ha! You think LinkedIn is bad…did you see what Alistair found on “WeFollow”?! 9,904,475 #socialmedia profiles…I wonder how many have “expert” in their bios.
Wow!! Awesomely great reply to all of those comments Beth!
I’ve been tracking this – mostly because the topic is one I find myself ranting on every few months or so.
I agree that if you can’t promote yourself you’re unlikely to be able to promote a company – but the caveat remains that just because you can promote yourself does not mean that you can promote a client!
I’m so glad that Leah decided to expand her comment into a post – I love her catergories…
The funny part is that I would put you on my list of Social Media Marketing experts – but one of the qualifications that puts you there is that you are someone who gets the fact that one cannot rest on one’s laurels, but must always be learning.
Lucretia Pruitt’s last blog post..Thank Heavens it’s Only Once a Year (opinion)
@LucretiaPruitt, you are right. There is a difference. Leigh is one smart & creative expert (I’m allowed to call her that, LOL!) isn’t she? One of these days (soon!) I will get my portfolio on this site…as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Thanks for such an engaging dialogue…I always love chatting with you.
Looks like I’m a little late to the party, but I can’t resist adding my 2 cents.
I don’t think we’re ready to establish professional standards around labels, and even if we did I suspect it wouldn’t matter. The people out to make a quick buck will promote themselves as experts and take advantage of clients’ trust. And I want the opportunity to nudge in ahead of them and use what I know to help clients, learning and growing as I go.
So here’s what I’ve decided for myself: I’m not comfortable billing myself as an “expert” anything. But if, after talking to me and seeing what I’ve achieved, someone else wants to call me an expert, I’m going to accept it as the vote of confidence it is. My goal will be to ensure they never regret it. Rather than engendering complacency, the title encourages me to stay in top form.
We can spend hours arguing the nuances and subtleties but the truth is most people don’t care what we call ourselves. They are looking to us for guidance. And if I can’t display confidence in my own abilities why should anyone hire me?
I like your point, Lucretia: If someone else says you are an expert, … hey, maybe you are!
I’ve recently undertaken two efforts: First, I’m replacing “social media marketing” (never mind that it’s the title of my book) with “social media based marketing” to underscore that what I do is APPLY social media concepts to the discipline of marketing. Second, I’m “excising” the term “expert” from my bios, etc. (Again, please look past that “Dave Evans is an expert…” appears on the back cover of my book.)
I’ve learned a lot working in and around the Social Web, and one or two are central to this thread and Beth’s prior thread about “social media marketing.” Simply put, what I call myself, right along with the idea of social media marketing–really isn’t mine to declare in the first place. Just like the idea of taking what is learned on the Social Web, in the presence of the collective and applying it to business, the better way to define yourself is through the definition that is provided for you by those around you.
In other words, you don’t need to call yourself an expert: Instead, you just need to work and behave like one.
@LisaHoffmann, well said! I think that is the best position to take and one that I have embraced as well. I think the effort to make sure that a client never regrets their decision to hire us also goes back to Michelle Tripp’s point about humility.
@DaveEvans, I am calling you an expert.
How to know a marketing expert:
1. They can show you the customers
2. They can show you the sales
3. They can show you the profit
Tunde
Always learning marketing.
P.S. Beth, you may find this noteworthy based on your reference to Kotler. Guess what inspired the TundeOnMarketing.com domain name? Remember Kotler On Marketing ?
Nice post – no need to repeat anything you said since I agree and have been promoting the view of social media being another tool in the marketing toolbox (and needs to be part of your marketing plan) for quite a while. I found myself smiling and nodding as I read it, saying ‘now there’s a woman after my own heart’ – pun intended!
Debra Murphy’s last blog post..Is Your Business Listed in Local Search Results?
Thanks for the kudos, Beth – and for stimulating so much great discussion!
Still learning right along with you guys…
Leigh
WOW! This looks really familiar. Even down the the graphic I used in my March post:
http://juicysnake.com/2009/03/what-makes-you-expert.html
I guess Great minds think a like.
SilentJay74’s last blog post..Social News: The Weather Section
Hi Beth,
…sorry for the late reply, I’m catching up on my reading.
Rarely do I say “I agree 100%” in comments of a blog, because I feel I should add more than that to the conversation, but today I’m breaking this rule.
I agree 100% that one could not consider themselves an expert because social media demands constant learning. That is what attracted me and I don’t have a marketing background.
My perspective on SM come from a sociological viewpoint and with that, I could and would never consider myself an expert. There is always something new to learn. And if one could possibly learn everything there was about SM, would there be any point in engaging with others?
Why do we shiver or scoff at the word “expert” when its tagged with social media? What makes it so special that expert can’t play a part?
DaveMurr’s last blog post..Midwest Digital Conference 2009
[...] made me realize more than ever that I will never finish learning. The feeling is best said by Beth Harte in her latest post: “…if I become an expert I fear that I will have stopped learning. [...]
There’s a great section in the book 4 Hour Work Week where the Tim Ferris discusses how easy it is to become an expert. For example join a few associations, offer to speak at a few institutions for free, etc. Essentially, you can easily manufacture the perception you are an expert.
To me this is exactly the problem in the wild wild west that is the social media space.
#1. anyone who tells you they’re an expert is not an expert
#2. having a blog and being active on twitter does not mean you are an expert
#3. written a book does not make you an expert
#4. if you can’t show tangible real business results you aren’t an expert
This space is filled with a bunch of hot air blow hards who talk, talk, talk, but couldn’t put together a basic marketing plan for a client. I know, because I’ve seen it time and time again.
You need only look at the so-called list of experts and their “body of work” or lack there of to see the proof. Tell me what has Laura Fitton actually produced? Why is iJustine considered a social expert?
I can sum up for you the talking points for every so called social media expert: the consumer is control, don’t focus on ROI, it’s about a conversation…a dialog, embrace change, engage, etc. Ok – if it were that easy, everyone could do it.
When I think of a social media expert, I think of Chris Hughes. Here’s a guy that has the credentials to back up the rhetoric: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/134/boy-wonder.html
Don’t show me fancy presentations on slideshare or the number of followers you have on twitter. Show me your real results, show me you understand my business, and show me you can help me grow that business. If you can’t – you aren’t an expert.
Adam
Adam Kmiec’s last blog post..Context And Experts
Excellent. Just excellent.
Great post. Took the words right out of my mouth.
Matt Soreco’s last blog post..The Bubba Keg is now dead to me
[...] you have probably noticed that a number of people have been debating what qualifies someone to be a social media ‘expert.’ Is it personal experience or a long list of client case studies? Is it the title on your business [...]
Nice thoughts – agree with most.
First, I am not a marketing guru or even close to that connotation (I do know the 4p’s and Phillip Kotler though). However, what I am is very knowledgeable about customer experiences and business. I, like you, don’t see this as the next new marketing campaign tool, but rather a very strategic organizational tool built around communications of your message in a more personal and much faster and cheaper. Not sure what that qualifies me as though…
Second, I have been “playing” with social media in a variety of ways for a couple of years – again with a few key measurements in mind. Can this increase a companies revenues, increase their market share, improve their customer experience and help build loyalty and can it improve differentiation to give a company a competitive advantage. In my mind, if it can’t do any of this – it is hype and a waste of time.
I personally have seen it do this so I don’t believe it is in the hype world – it is in the real world and something that will change the face of businesses forever. Thanks for the post – it is amazing how many people out there today are now all of a sudden “social media experts and guru’s” – give me a break…
Blaine
Blaine’s last blog post..Churches testing Social Media…powerful
[...] an “expert” (there are too many wannabe experts floating around these days anyway, as Beth Harte points out in this most excellent post). But you’ve got to be able to talk knowledgeably about it – and you can’t do that if [...]
[...] Here’s a terrific blog post from Harte Marketing and Communications. Don’t miss the comments, the first of which (from Lucretia Pruitt) absolutely nails it: [...]