Recently I attended a brainstorming session sponsored by a local business to help the decision maker decide how to move forward with the organization’s implementation of Social Media. The decision maker had little more that a conversational grasp of Twitter, Facebook, etc, and there he was at the table with the local SM literati. A conversation like that can quickly get esoterically out of hand, especially for those decision makers who are at the “you know something is happening but you don’t know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?” stage.
This video will first have you ROTFL; but you will go back and listen to the words and message again. Caution: Strong Language!
It seems that everyone who can figure out how to open a Facebook account or do a few Tweets is a social media expert these days, and if they want to bill at a higher rate, they are gurus. Almost everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon that’s running down the yellow brick road to a gold mine. It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but it takes a little more effort to book passage on the Cluetrain.
I am not criticizing Social Media consulting – I really believe that the Integration of Social Media into PR , Marketing and Advertising is vital to business. The question is which thought leader do you follow? I oftenre-read and link to Geoff Livingston and Beth Harte’s Top 25 ways to tell if your social media expert is a carpetbagger.
There has been an interesting conversation on the RE.net about the “most influential” social media users in the real estate business. Wow, the “gurus” make lists of top Tweeters. The analysts make lists based on statistical data, and now Inman News is having a popularity contest (Oh please vote for me so my ego won’t be bruised any more than it has already been by not being included on the other lists). The big question is Who Cares? Are there really no better ways of measuring credibility and competence than inclusion on a list? If I were hiring a SM guru, or reading his/her posts, or considering buying his/her books, or advising a client on how to make the choice, I would refer back to Livingston and Harte’s 25 ways and other posts along the same theme, like this one from Terry Ellwood or this one I wrote a while back.
Now, write me a check for 5000 Euros and I will say adios.
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Great post, Joe. Writing a list to validate yourself reminds me of when websites started circulating at the beginning, and you could make your own badge for an award. People would trade badges in the effort to make their site look like it had won some sort of prize.
Good posts about ways to judge your expert. This is the blossoming of a field, and it will be a while before the dust settles and the experts really are the ones left standing. Like Adam mentioned in The Kmiec ramblings, it’s like the Wild West out there now.
Diane Guercio´s last blog ..A List of Lists- not exactly One Ring material, but…
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Nice post by @joespake with the funniest video I have ever seen [link to post]
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RT@HeyAmaretto Nice post by @joespake with the funniest video I have ever seen [link to post]
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I recently went to a Twitter forum where the presenter with the highest number of followers had 800. I must say, I was disppointed. You’re right – everyone’s a “guru” these days.
Thanks, Diane, Robin, and Christina-Marie. I hope to see you around at NAR in November.
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