Beware of Social Media “Experts”
Increasingly, I keep coming across people both in the US and now in Northern Ireland who share their experiences with me of sub-par social media presentations and workshops they have been to. These workshops have been billed as the be all and end all of social media, facilitated by “experts” in the field. Thing is, there is no such a thing as an “expert” in social media. Social media, like the internet, continues to change and evolve on a daily basis, and it is impossible to keep up with it all. Just today, Facebook made a number of major announcements to developers and the press at its F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco. The biggie that came out today is the announcement of a collaboration with Microsoft to launch Docs.com as a direct competitor to Google Docs. All we can do is accept this fast pace, and do our best to keep up essentially. Some of us are maybe more ahead in the race than others, but the finish line is nowhere in sight!
The next time you hear of or get approached about a workshop or services in social media, I recommend that you do a quick check online of these people/companies and their services. See if they are actually running in the race. Are they showing up on the first page of Google searches? Are they active on blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook? Ask for a portfolio and examples of their work in social media. If they cannot provide you with this basic evidence, then move on find someone else to assist you with your social media needs.
Category: Social Media/Branding
Kat,
You are absolutely correct. The current fad over “social media” has brought many snake oil salesmen out of the woodwork, calling themselves “gurus” and “experts.” As you say, the best way to vet them is to check their credentials closely and examine what they have achieved online.
David
I speak a fair bit on this topic. Always, always, always ask to be introduced as “an Enthusiast”.
The only guru I’ve ever met lives in Turkey, has long hair, sits crossed-legged mostly and wears a silk sari.
Lol, thanks Dawn. “Enthusiast” says it much better!