No matter how many ridiculous lists there are on how to either be better at social media or how to commit social media suicide, or something similar. Yep, I am on a soapbox right now. Remember, social media is just another fancy word for marketing. It is not the monetary aspect, but more on the level of pushing your content into the public where people are interested. In fact, the term really is not new and really, it really is not fancy. This year, I have heard “social media” this and that in many places. However, people are still trying to figure it out.
THAT is the sad truth.
There are people going around saying they are social media ‘gurus’ or ‘experts.’ The problem is that they are only experts because the people they have influenced call them that. You cannot say you are an expert unless someone says you are. I remember hearing Micah Baldwin (Micah on Twitter) saying something to that sort. Say you have two people on twitter who delve into “social media”, but they are experts at different levels. The reason: the one who has shared their experience, applied it on a widespread public level (like Chris Brogan or my favorite and one who I have met in person – Liz Strauss). Now, I do not claim to be some “social media expert” nor will I ever.
Quoted from Social Media Rockstar:
You Haven’t Yet Monetized Your Social Media Presence into Consistent, Substantial Income. Do spend the bulk of your time on social media tasks that don’t really make you any money ? Do you have a corporate or agency “social media day job” where you’re constantly being reigned-in or encouraged to perform below your true potential? Are you a consultant who doesn’t spend half your day fighting off big budget project + speaking proposals with a stick? Then you’re probably not a social media expert, yet!
My response to the Social Media Rockstar article called 5 Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert, Yet:
The thing about social media is that it does NOT have to exactly sell something for money. You can sell your blog content for the awesome price of $0. The thing is promoting your content and that is an investment of time rather than money. Of course, you could offer advertising on your site, but if your main goal of your site, like mine for Blondish.net is to provide informational content to my readers, I want to be able to reach those in my niche which fall along the following categories: tech websites, webmaster resources, graphic design, web design, graphic freebies, WordPress, tutorials, and social media/ marketing.
My Goals:
- Maintain focus of website
- Improve traffic to site
- Improve external links to site
- Improve relations with my followers
- Provide adequate content or excell in providing content to readers in my niche
Eventually that effort could evolve into a monetary solution for visitors seeking to advertise on that site. However my primary directive is to attract quality traffic that could produce regular visitors and/or more visitors. When you get into the marketing aspect of social media, you are dealing more with making goals toward making money – the deeper end of marketing.
To you, what makes a person a social media expert?
I’m not impressed with people shoving social media down people’s throats. There are too may experts and not enough people doing what they say they can.
While money isn’t everything, I consider it a pretty big criteria for social media success in a world full of fake experts who don’t make a nickel. A forensics expert gets paid. A real extate or business management expert gets paid. A social media expert, in my book, probably knows how to.
Well, it is a nice part of social media to get paid and I have, but I am emphasizing that it is not always about money. You have to understand that this is combining OLD blogger mentality to the new, which is far more powerful in the social media realm.
The thing is that there are sites/bloggers that the only thing they really are “selling” is their words for your time to just read and hopefully influence you.
Social Media is not always about the money first even if that it is what you want to make. It is about your ability to reach and influence people. Money comes after you have done the work. Without reach or influence or trust, how can you attract people to your product? There would be no money made if you cannot.
What makes people experts is the fact that they are actually working their social sites – even if they don't have extensive knowledge right now. For instance, I see you pushing your works and knowledge through FB, LinkedIn and Twitter. That makes you an expert to me. I trust what you say and the advice you give. But the biggest indicator of your expertise is your consistency. Keep on doin' what you do!
I find it very hard to build my social networking for my carpet cleaning company. I know how great it could be with lots of likes and twitter followers but, just seems most of my clients don’t want a carpet cleaning company networking on there fun sites?
I think people who claim to be experts on social media are basing there knowledge upon evidence-based research. They do something, optimizing the social media’s potential, and then they come up successful. And then they share it like those in success stories.
The use of social media applications to promote an organization has become increasingly popular. Prominent social media sites viewed publicly online include Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. Social media experts use these sites and others to promote businesses and products..
One important thing that social media marketers should learn is how to reach out to their target audience. Once you grasp your audience’s interest they will be the one chasing after your products and services. They could even be free advertisers for your company in the event that they like what you provide them. Thanks for the post!
No one has told me that I am a Social Media expert and if someone will, I will disagree with them. I think social media can do great things for our blog. But claiming that you are an expert is another thing. Has somebody called you an expert yet?
Thanks for sharing!
-Abby J.
Yes, I have been. I normally do not call myself one as I worked hard over a decade to be able to help others. If it helps… that is all that matters to me. Titles are never necessary. 😀
I agree social media a must for any organization but I think you need to pick one or two platforms and stick with those. Such as Facebook and Twitter and leave myspace, pininterest, ect alone otherwise you would spend quite abit of time monitoring each account.
Hi Nile – I think you have figured out a key to success – giving and helping others.
There are many people pretending to be social media experts, but I consider that having a blog doesn’make you automatically a specialist. A person needs years of experience and formal studies to gain this title.
experience makes you an expert. If you are successful then you will try different things out to see what really works after doing so long enough you will find expertise.
What is it people are waiting for? Get out there and try something already.
Hi Nile, great points here ,
experience takes time , knowledge and passion .
I claim that people are full of it and love any opportunity for self-promotion and self-aggrandizement. It’s really inspiring to get to read an entry about the humble beginnings of a person who is already successful online. And it motivates newbie’s to really think that hard work will eventually pay-off. What’s really the most important trait that a person must have in order to be successful online? By the way, thanks for sharing it. I learned tons of things.
Social media promotion is being pushed every where and some of the information out there is disinformation. Trying to push a product in the social media circle is like trying to pull your teeth with rubber pliers, it is possible but it takes a lot of time and effort.
One aspect I have found with social media is not to try to sell directly but to sell on the side. I try to engage people’s curiosity about an item or service and then slowly and gently point them in the direction of the offer for the sale. This way they do not feel like they are being sold to directly and they think it is there idea to make the purchase.
I see a lot of self proclaimed “social media experts'” out there, but I think social media changes so much that no one can really say their an expert. By definition an expert is a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. Well when the particular area (social media) changes so often, then how can you REALLY be an expert.
Nice post Nile, for me there is really no such thing as social media expert since when you say expert you are the all knowing in that field. Perhaps, someone can only be called as experienced in social media.
HI Nile you have figured out some good things that how can we make ourself expert in social media.
The main thing is first to do something then try to optimize them and after that take a look on that topics
Thanks Admin for such a great conversation between you and your visitors
Hi Nile!
Nice post. Yes its true money should not always be on priority some other factors should also be taken into consideration .Thanks for sharing.
I am not exactly sure why it would be that important to be an “expert” in something that people can easily educate themselves about. Considering the amount of change that takes place and the fact that Twitter and many forms of social media are still evolving rapidly, it’s nice that some are so devoted to it’s progress.
Being called social media experts is only when you have a long list of fan followings who spread news about you being very awesome social media expert..! i think the most important thing is to spend time on it..! if you don’t spend time on social media networks you can not be an expert you need to contact with people and interact with them to become one of them..!
I think experience can make you an expert because you learn a lot from this. And also experience is a best teacher in order for us to become a better people.
it was a good time to read your very great article…I learned most of the new things by reading your article..
hope you will write more better articles in future than this…… ?
I think that the most important thing for a Social media expert is the ability to “read” the customers and to understand what they need and like.
Hello Nile
You have written on an important topic. These days it’s hard to tell which social media expert is truly effective. Beginning your subject with this statement,”Social media is just another fancy word for marketing.” help explain why it is hard to tell who is an expert. On another blog I read, “Being an expert in social media is like being an expert at taking the bread out of the refrigerator. You might be the best bread-taker-outer in the world, but you know what? The goal is to make an amazing sandwich, and you can’t do that if all you’ve done in your life is taken the bread out of the fridge.” Reading your goals display that you are doing more than just taking bread out of the refrigerator.
Thanks
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
Hi Neil, Thanks for providing such an useful information on social media. I always been searching for news related to cloud and it is good for me if we interact in future like this. A very happy new year to you also and thanks again.
Well, for me producing content which helps readers on social media makes a person social media expert. Its very important to understand the requirements of your readers than producing such content which could help them and that should provide knowledge that’s a vital.
I agree with your article. There are a lot of people calling themselves experts that are not.
Being an expert somewhere required to be able to face any challenge. First of all, if someone calls himself an expert that doesn’t mean he is one. An expert will not need to say it, people will understand themselves.
Being an expert requires 2 things, minimally: You know a lot more than most and your peers acknowledge that you truly are an expert.
In my experience with social media, humility, honesty, and an ACCURATE representation of your skills is extremely important.
1) Focused only in social media apps ( Not Search Engine or Other Marketing together)
2) Knows which social media is relevant to your business? (Facebook is good for CPG, Lifestyle)
3) Can Talk in Numbers ( Traffic, Insights etc)
4) Knows how to increase engagement rate?
I think one will be considered as expert in social media if that person is familiar to all social media sites and personally learned how to use each of the social media sites.
I think your suggestion is nice because social media boom get instantly fast.
It is not possible to use social media for every company.only for online related websites and with big brands we can use social media optimization.