Beware: There is No Such Thing as a Social Media Guru
If you’re a small business looking for social media help make sure you know what you’re buying and don’t buy into anyone calling him or herself a social media guru, Sherpa, evangelist or maven. Even calling oneself a social media “expert” is a stretch unless your last name is Zuckerman, Dorsey, Hoffman (founders/creators of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn).
Social media is changing so rapidly, that it is impossible for anyone to keep up with all of the platforms, reporting data, metrics and most importantly, with user behavior. Social media possibilities are endless, and the future of connecting with potential customers via social media cannot be told.
So if you’re seeking out someone to assist with your small business social media strategy planning, ask these questions before hiring or entrusting someone with the keys to your digital profiles.
What tools do you utilize to measure effectiveness of a social media campaign? If the person trying to sell you their services says they use only number of likes and follows, then that is not enough. Her or she should be able to explain engagement, benchmarking, traffic sources, referrers, retention, and should be familiar with basic monitoring tools like Hootsuite and Tweetdeck.
Social media is not a new phenomenon, as we have been texting and e-mailing for many years. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. have revolutionized customer interaction and inbound marketing. These platforms are proven to help build a community for your small business, and are proven to drive sales. If you are not an expert, and very few people are, then you should enlist the help of someone with experience developing a social media strategy, someone who has executed a social media strategy and someone who knows that social media is fluid. Social media strategists that are worth a damn should know that they are very few experts, and they should accept that there is always more they can learn while still helping your small business achieve its marketing goals through social media interaction.
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