A few months ago when I was exploring the idea of starting ME Consulting, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to describe myself.
At first, I was a “social media expert” but that seemed over the top and, well, un-Canadian. Then, I was a “social media strategist”, which felt more comfortable until realizing that scores of people armed with a blog, a Facebook profile and a Twitter account were calling themselves “social media strategists” or “social media consultants”. So, I settled on “digital marketing and communications and social media consultant”, which, while not exactly snappy, seems like a good fit.
In the scheme of things, the job description process is just nomenclature and the title on a business card. But to be honest, the major reason I backed away from describing myself as a social media expert, strategist or consultant is I believe social media is going to disappear.
I know what you’re probably saying “Social media is going to disappear? What’s in his morning coffee?”
By “disappear”, I mean that sooner rather than later, social media as a hyperbole-driven, standalone, new-kid-on-the-block entity is going to evolve into a communications, marketing and sales strategy and distribution vehicle that happens to rely on a variety of valuable and useful online services.
For now, however, social media is being sold as something revolutionary. And there’s no lack of people positioning themselves as strategists and consultants when, in fact, they’re really “enthusiasts” who love using the tools but have little or no experience actually applying them to achieve business objectives.
At some point, there’s going to be a realization that social media is a far more than the tools; far more than being able to set up a blog, write snappy updates in less than 140 characters, or upload videos to YouTube.
In time, people will realize that social media success is built on three elements:
1. A strong platform of communications, marketing and sales expertise and strategic focus
2. The ability to effectively deploy a wide variety of social media tools and services to deliver information, campaigns, etc.
3. A willingness and commitment to engage with your constituents – customers, employees, suppliers, investors, partners, etc.
In time, I think “social media” will lose its sexiness because it will become a widely accepted way to do business – whether you’re communicating, marketing or selling. In a good way, social media will fade into the background.
Addendum: Some inspiration for this post came from a post on MarketingProfs Daily Fix called “How Long Does It Take to Become a Social Media Expert?” that explores whether Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 Hours theory can be applied to social media.
Technorati Tags: ME Consulting, social media
49 Comments
Wow how insightful…NOT. In fact, the problem with your post and your entire argument is that it is pablum. Develop a strong communications strategy, use the right tools and engage your customers. My 6 year old would have come up with at least two of these “strategic” elements. According to your description, he may not quite qualify as an expert but he certainly can bill himself as a consultant. Watch out ME Consulting, there’s a new kid in town.
When ever the media jumps on something and Martha Stewart dedicates a show her fave trend (blogging was a show last year) you know it's on the uncool decline. Lose the cool kids and lose the masses.
Dave,
Thanks for the comment and insight. Call it “pablum” if you want but I see as fundamentals that often get overshadowed amid the hype about “social media”.
I agree, social media is really looking bad.
Good insight. I have done PR for 25 years. Yes, I do the Social Media thing, but see it as just an evolution of what we have been doing: strategic communications. The ways and means have changed, but unless you have message, tone and voice, all got is noise.
Yes, I know that markets are conversations, etc., but organizations still have an obligation to communicate their collective voice and be part of the conversation.
I must say that I had a good chuckle when I read the line about calling yourself a social media expert was un-Canadian. My wife, an American, believes that I, a Canadian, am destructively modest in that I tend to downplay my capabilities to my own detriment. We Canadians, I feel, do tend to do this.
I also must say that I don’t quite agree with your assesment that social media is going to disappear. Perhaps I misread, but I see social media as a form of individual expression, not a form of specific, directed, commercial enterprise. It is true that many use social media for business use, but the social part is here to say. In fact, I feel that the empowerment of the quiet individual is the strongest selling point of social media and will continue to grow.
I think instead that the use of social media for commercialism will evolve. Right now, it seems to be a hodge podge of people without a specific or direct focus. I am, by no means, an expert in advertising, marketing or anything of the sort, so I really don’t know how it will evolve, but I do think there will be a growing divide between personal and market-driven social media.
1. Write over-the-top yellow journalism headline in order to generate traffic to your blog.
2. Spend entire length of article qualifying and backing away from said headline.
That’s good social media strategy, Mr. Digital Marketing and Communications and Social Media Consultant! (That must look great on a business card.)
You guys are all snake oil salesmen.
Great post Mark.
Not sure why “Dave” has taken such great issue with your phraseology.
It’s all about the advice you give to clients.
Kevin
I think people will try everything out there and stick with what they like for what they need. Now that the media has jumped all over “social networking” facebook and now they recently grasped twitter as something they discovered, which makes me laugh. When ever the media jumps on something and Martha Stewart dedicates a show her fave trend (blogging was a show last year) you know it’s on the uncool decline. Lose the cool kids and lose the masses.
I don’t think it will disappear 100% but it’s growth will taper off and it will be something we talk about in 2012 as remember when.
Hey Mark, I thought the same thing a few days ago too: http://twitter.com/johncarson/status/1398726077
Cheers,
JC.
I have not been on *every* social media platform but I have been on enough of them to be a little sick of the build-abandon-rebuild process as everyone migrates to the new one.
Then you have the whole walled garden and dominant player issue.
What’s next needs to be a paradigm that allows me to keep my data, as my data and allow me to link to others.
I host or get my data hosted anywhere and some kind of distributed app allows me to link to whoever I want as long as I adhere to the new social network API.
I could then have levels of keys that I share which allow different access to different levels of information.
My public face, my private face, my hobby face, my professional face or what have you. I can generate content about me and tag it, but you can only access content that I have given you permission for.
The fundamental difference being, I control my data and I control access at any level I want.
I realize this is a big concept but it solves many of the current social networking issues.
Next. Glad you’re getting some traffic from HN, but the first poster is correct. This is pure pablum. Nice social “hack”, but this “article” is pure self-service bunk and a good reminder why I have an explicit “social media” spam filter to /dev/null. Blech.
Mark,
Declaring yourself a social media consultant and publishing obvious, non value added commentary and advice doesn’t cut it. Any hack who reads Techcrunch, Mashable or follows Charlene Li, Steve Reubel or Andrew Chen on Twitter can “consult” on social media issues, trends and strategies. What additional value do you bring to the table? It’s not apparent from this post.
I find this the most confusing part of your post:
“In time, I think “social media” will lose its sexiness because it will become a widely accepted way to do business – whether you’re communicating, marketing or selling. In a good way, social media will fade into the background.”
If social media becomes a widely accepted way of doing business, how then does it “disappear”?
I’m also tired of every hack with a blog, a Twitter account and a consultant business card rehashing “pablum” and positioning themselves as industry “experts”.
Thanks for the insight. For what it's worth, I spent more than 15 years as a reporter and done social media with two online start-ups so while I don't call myself an "expert", I do have a fair amount of experience.
cheers, Mark
Mark, I couldn't agree more. That is why I have labeled myself (as per my twitter account) a "social media enthusiast" from the very beginning of this new paradigm.
Great article.
Matt
"If social media becomes a widely accepted way of doing business, how then does it "disappear"?"
It gets rolled into advertising, marketing, and PR. Today's social media experts, for the most part, are moderately tech-savvy entrepreneurs, temporarily filling a market void until traditional advertising, marketing and PR people get hip to the new media technologies. The smart social media firms will look to merge with an existing traditional advertising, marketing or PR firm, before those firms start competing on a large scale.
Don't worry so much about the labels and continue to focus on your actions.
"Pablum" used to be a positive term. I'm leery of anyone using the term "snake oil". Most, if not all, occupations can have negative connotations. Priest, lawyer, businessmen, marketer, doctor. Sticks and stones.
Point being, labels and industries, including social media, will change.
Critics won't. That's why they write rather than do.
Actions speak louder than words. Stay on target.
Focus on your actions.
Good read, unfortunately everything you just said in your post is old hat. Your social media platforms are already business marketing driven, and medias like facebook and myspace are all for social interacting . Old news
Everything you said would have been exciting and innovating if it was written a year ago.
I beg to differ. As long as people have a need to communicate, and all humans do and always have, social media will stick around.
I am also sick of all those wannabe bloggers who can't even write a single sentence without making major grammar and spelling errors, but they too, unfortunately, feel the need to share their thoughts, and since a newspaper would never hire them as columnists — thank God!!!! — they will continue to use the Web and all the tools it provides.
Social Media is simply a way of using what is known as "Web 2.0". Right now it's cutting edge stuff but is getting to be more normal and will soon become simply a medium of communication, entertainment, and information gathering. Of COURSE it's going to evolve. Everything does, and Social Media will be no different.
Backlinks
I agree social media strategy should not be approached as a new tool or channel.
it is becoming an additional medium to include in a sound marketing and communications strategy.
Any one that claims they are a social media expert because they 'know' how to use twitter or facebook is like someone claiming they are a media expert because they can print a newspaper… and we all know how they are faring right now
I think what you are getting at is that familiarity with the medium does not warrant the title of expert.
There are a lot of brands tossing money to people to 'get them into social media' which merely equates setting up a facebook page.
A digital media strategist leverages those tools to get results for their clients, while a social media strategist knows how to use twitter, facebook or write a blog – which really is common knowledge not expertise.
When using twitter and facebook becomes common knowledge how will we define the experts?
Mark, I couldn't agree more. That is why I have labeled myself (as per my twitter account) a "social media enthusiast" from the very beginning of this new paradigm.
Great article.
Matt Dobson
This is my first visit on the site and this article is the first article I read.I am really impressed by the quality of (or depth of thoughts in the) article and also comments replied here. It is really good food for thoughts. BTW I found the "uncanadia" part rather interesting ( than just funny). I live in Toronto but I'm originally from Japan and I have lived in the US too. I see the huge difference between American society and Canadian society when it comes to their value of "being modest".
I personally don't use social media marketing for my blog. I find it to be a waste of time. But I guess it really all depends on one's target audience.
Social media won't disappear. And only a fraction of them users will use social media as a business tool. The rest are wannabes and time wasters whiling away conducting useless exercises.
I am neither and 'expert', nor a 'consultant' per se. But, I do claim to have a fair bit of experience like anyone else claims.
I hope you are not right
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I agree that social media is more about a platform of communications so it is ging to dissolve into the communication thing.
Interesting topic there. I guess like most things, eventually everything becomes the norm and social media will be no different.
I know that a lot of people use social media to promote thier business. A friend of mine has more than 1000 friends on myspce just for business purpose. He makes friends to promote, advertise his school.
You can't say social media will disappear rather it will change its working style and become more powerfully involved in our life.
Social media can no't disappear and less actually with all new social media sites that people are using everyday. Myspace as many others earn a lot of $$$ to just dissapear from people advertising…
Mike;)
Social media will never disappear, but it might just change according to our needs.
I am, by no means, an expert in advertising, marketing or anything of the sort, so I really don't know how it will evolve, but I do think there will be a growing divide between personal and market-driven social media.
tBTW I found the "uncanadia" part rather interesting ( than just funny). I live in Toronto but I'm originally from Japan and I have lived in the US too. I see the huge difference between American society and Canadian society when it comes to their value of "being modest".
Twitter is the one for me. I simply cannot believe that in 12 months it will exist in its current form. I am convinced it cannot survive unless it is sucked up into a more broadly appealing network an ends up as a component.
Everything will always run it's course, who would have ever thought newspapers would be in trouble. In this age every thing is chaging
If you haven't seen Google Wave yet you really should. It builds upon the standard social networks and gives realtime communication and data sharing a whole new level of usability.
You can't blame the blog writer for doing what works. It's called link bait and we all fell for it. As he get's better, he'll learn how to really back up the bait. Give it time. Remember we were all new at this at one time, and you never know who's going to generate the next big thing!
I´m sick of all these wannabe bloggers, too. You spoke right from my soul.
I hope it doesn't because social media is like the building blogs of blogging.
Yes, I know that markets are conversations, etc., but organizations still have an obligation to communicate their collective voice and be part of the conversation
I think there will be some kind of social media evolution. They will accommodate to the market needs and become a mixture of social media and some other services.
It can be that social media will lose its importance for organizations.
But I'm sure, it will always appear something new and the companies will put their efforts on these new tools.
a Twitter account and a consultant business card rehashing "pablum" and positioning themselves as industry "experts".cellulite creams
a Twitter account and a consultant business card rehashing "pablum" and positioning themselves as industry "experts".cellulite creams
I think “social media” will lose its sexiness because it will become a widely accepted way to do business – whether you’re communicating, marketing or selling. In a good way, social media will fade into the background."
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