As the recent co-chair of PRSA‘s Counselors Academy 2012 conference, I was closely involved with planning the content for the conference. With social media as a growing part of what PR agencies offer, I found myself in discussions with conference chair, Martin Waxman, about the social media leaders, authors and “experts” we should invite as speakers. I also found debating with other agency owners and senior management about the definition of social media expert.
This certainly isn’t a new discussion, and asking the question of what is a social media expert is sorta like asking who bakes the best cake. Like in any industry, we see self proclaimed experts popping up everyday. It isn’t hard to setup a Facebook page for a business. Once you’ve done it, does that make you a social media expert? Some say so. But how does it fit into the overall marketing strategy? Are you ready for it to be a customer service channel? How do likes relate to sales? Hmmm. Maybe not so simple. And that’s just one example.
As for the conference, we were delighted to host several speakers who are truly regarded as experts, including Marcus Sheridan. I loved hearing his story because he was a pool guy who turned to blogging to save his business in a down economy. Not only did he save the company, sales exploded and a new career as The Sales Lion was born. Similar to Chicago Cabbie who I blogged about last year after learning how he is using Twitter, this goes to show you that ANY business can benefit from social media.
Since I liked the presentation Marcus gave so much, I’ve been reading some of his blogs, and one called The 3 Essential Qualities of a TRUE Social Media Expert caught my eye. I agree that his three qualities can define a social media expert. They include: 1) The “rules” are always changing, and every industry is different. 2) They freely admit they are not for everyone. 3) They can put their money where their mouth is.
Going hand-in-hand with #3, I would add the point that the social media expert is the right kind of expert for you/the job. Can you be a social media expert without being an author, keynote speaker or even known for social media? YES! Yes, yes and yes. So what are you seeking? If you want a social media expert to speak at an event, the author or keynote speaker will likely be a good fit. If you are looking for a person or a team to analyze your business, build a social media strategy and work with you on long-term goals and execution, the author or speaker might not be your best choice. Continue reading “What is a Social Media Expert?”
