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Social Media Expert (Your Name Here)

The term “Social Media Expert” is bandied about so much these days you have to wonder what is a Social Media Expert – and what qualifies one to be labeled as such – and further if everyone is a Social Media Expert – maybe it’s a title that’s lost it’s meaning or value, since everyone can’t all be Social Media Experts can they?

The devaluation of this term has been discussed in other blogs, most notably on the article in Open Wire called “You’re NOT a Social Media Expert, you idiot” where the author Joel Mackey sets new definition criteria for determining what truly makes one a Social Media Expert.

Joel defines 5 categories of true Social Media Experts:

  1. Authority Experts – Those who are able to transition their thought leadership from another arena to Social Media. His examples include : @joelcomm, @guykawasaki, @jimmyfallon, @aplusk 
  2. The Power User Expert – Someone whose gotten to the top of one social media platform and sets their sites on another. Usually are early adopters: @zaibatsu, @mrbabyman @LouieBaur  @stejules
  3. Content Creation Social Media Experts:  Those who report on trends and current themes are are able to disseminate that information effectively across the internet and social media platforms.  @murnahan, @mayhemstudios, @jessenewhart, @szetela, @fantomaster
  4. Natural Social Media Experts: Social People who are great connectors online : @AlohaArleen, @BuzzEdition, @MariSmith
  5. Social Media Salesmen: Internet Marketers putting out a one way content stream: (you can visit the original article for his examples)

Just like being canonized as a saint, elected class president, or named People Magazine’s sexiest man of the year – I don’t think Social Media Expert is actually a label one can apply to themselves. Rather it’s a label that’s applied given or more rightly earned by sharing your passion for social media, showing innovation and thought leadership. Being creative with your social media usage and in the most social sense – open and sharing with your information, insights and ultimately results. 

Results not in the sense of pay-per-click marketing of click-through rates, impressions and user views. But rather, measured in the quality of the 2 way communication, comments, replies and overall engagement of both the expert and the audience.

It’s the user community that grows around these individuals – those of us who read their blogs, subscribe to the feeds, link to them and generally subscribe to their thought stream and appreciate their viewpoint.

In Sept 2008 (which feels like eons ago in internet time/space) ReadWriteWeb identified these 7 Social Media Consultants that Deliver Tangible Value – I think these serve as an excellent example of who some of the true experts or thought leaders are.

  • Chris Brogan
  • Jeremiah Owyang
  • Charlene Li
  • Dawn Foster
  • Dosh Dosh
  • Gary Vaynerchuck
  • Nancy White

I guess the next question is – what should we call them? Since we collectively are the ones who are responsible for the number of Twitter Followers, Technorati Authority and Google Page Rank – we should come up with a title to bestow upon these social media luminaries of the moment. If the title “Social Media Expert” has been worn out by the hordes of them suddenly around – do we come up with a new name, or put them in categories that define exactly what type of expert. So let’s hear it – what do you think true social media experts should be called?

Should You Employ a Social Media Marketing Consultant

New companies or small businesses are limited in many different resources. Time, employees, and most of all, funding, can all be an issue for a new company or small business. This is why social media marketing is such a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and small business owners. With a low barrier to entry and low, often no, cost, social media marketing is an attractive option to companies looking to get on their feet, establish a place for themselves in their niche and create valuable networking opportunities. However, social media marketing is a very new area of promotion and marketing. For this reason, it may be in the best interest of a small business to employ an outside social media marketing consultant in order to get the most out of their social media investments. 

That’s not to say you can’t bring this job in-house. In fact no one will speak as passionately or informatively about your business as you or your team will. Starting a new company is a hectic time, with many details to be attended to. Advertising, publicity and news release are not the least of these details, and often require the most finesse. So not only does the new business owner have to handle the publicity, but, if they have decided to get involved with social media, they must also educate themselves on the nuances and techniques of social media as well. Hiring a social media marketing expert in these situations is often a lifesaver.

A social media marketing expert can sit down with the company owners and employees, getting a good feel for the vibe and message of the company, allowing the creation of a solid image to be presented on various social media networks. A social media marketing expert can also help to develop a social media marketing strategy, using experience and proven techniques to provide the most return on investment for a struggling small business. The expertise of a social media marketing professional will not only aid in the creation of a successful social media marketing strategy, but also educate owners and employees on the pros, cons, ins and outs of the various social media networks and how to gain the most value from the networks and contacts created. While your company may not need to employ a social media marketing expert in a permanent capacity at first, consider a consultant practiced and experienced in social media marketing strategies to give your new company a great start right out of the gate – then consider transitioning the job in house to a dedicated staffing position like Community Organizer or Social Media Manager.

Copyright © 2011 Jackie Cuyvers