Posted by Mark in 
Social Media “Gurus” are everywhere. Whether you are on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or any other social sites you will see profiles that define the user as a “social media consultant” or “social media guru.” If you haven’t noticed this yet go ahead and browse some of the profiles on these social sites, you will be surprised to see the number of people that call themselves the Social Media extraordinaire. It has become a career for most and only some do it the way it is supposed to be done. Most people fall for it and end up paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a mere four page report. Yes, social media is huge when it comes to marketing on the internet but not all so called social media gurus know what they are doing.
Today we just wanted to bust a little myth that some have already cracked. Still some of these so called social media gurus need to be reminded why they are not what they portray themselves to be,
Number of Fans and Followers : Not a Way To Measure Your Effectiveness
You have 30,000 plus followers on twitter and 6,000 plus fans on Facebook and you are the top notch social media guy, right? Wrong! Numbers are always prettier to look at but unless those numbers convert to any meaningful results they are nothing but numbers. Social Media gurus are quick to point out their followers and fans on the social sites to show how influential they are and this is not a measurement of their achievement. Anyone can build a huge following, anyone. We all know how to game the system to some extent when it comes to boosting the numbers, remember numbers not relationship. For you to be able to provide results you need realtionship that are mutual, give and take not simply numbers. Do you really think your 30,000 followers on twitter will come to your aid when you are putting together a social media campaign for your client? I doubt it. If you are able to tap into 10% of that number I would call you a guru but your client still won’t be happy.
Numbers matter simply because it shows and gives you a way to brag about yourself. Nothing more than that. If you want to utilize the social web to market yourself, meaningful relationship are the key. And building meaningful relationship with 30,000 people on twitter and 6,000 fans on Facebook is as impossible as trying to lasso the moon for your sweetheart.
Social Media Gurus and Consultants : Emerging Out Of Everywhere
Social Media consultants have started to emerge on the web like mushrooms in a wild forest. They are everywhere. And only few are as good as an edible mushroom and the rest look like they can be utilized cause they are hidden among the good ones. The other night while I was browsing twitter I came across 50 profiles with “social media guru,” or “social media consultant,” listed as their career that it was sickening. Seriously, what qualifies you to call yourself a social media guru? Simply cause you got 3 articles on digg frontpage, got yourself on the first page of reddit and StumbleUpon has been your safe haven when it comes to traffic? Social Media marketing isn’t about that.
Today most users see social media as a way to garner instant gratification. That is not what it is. If you go look at corporations or even look years back and see how they did marketing, you will know. Proper marketing doesn’t happen overnight and the same thing applies to social media marketing. It is not about instant gratification, it is about building a loyal base and using that base to get to the next step in the long run. You can use social media for hype but what good is a hype if it brings you 2 million pageviews today and 200 a week from now. Use social media to drive consistency not spikes.
Social Media Marketing = Old Marketing With a New Twist
Marketing in the social web or utilizing social media for marketing purpose is built on one premise which coincides with the age old form of marketing : word of mouth. That is exactly what social media marketing is. Word of mouth marketing but on the web. You do things that makes others talk about you. Whether through meaningful relationship on a one on one basis with your fans or followers or by doing things that gives value to the people on the other end.
Please stop marketing yourself as a social media guru or consultant unless you have been able to provide results in some ways. We understand that during times of economic turmoil you have got to find a way to score big on the web, but this will only drive you further into the hole along with your clients who might be naive enough to take you on board. This is what I know about Social Media, does this make me a social media expert or a “guru?” I wish.
Ok, I am done with my rant. Share your thoughts on social media gurus that are everywhere on the web.
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totally concur. thus, i have retweeted the link that got me here in the first place…
i think titles in general are pretty weak. i go by the web link they provide as their rel=”me” on these social net sites. If the link they use to identify them either is *not* them or sux, then my decision is made as to their value to social networking.
just my two cents.
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robbie coleman
Master of All Realms
I got into an unintentional cat-fight with a big name twit-erer a few days ago about this. He invited all 40K of his followers to go sign up with him on LinkedIn, and I observed that that really ruined the group there for those of us that actually KNEW the people we were linked to.
I was immediately lectured that there were no rules in social media, that it was perfectly ok to just link to everyone, and the fact that he had 40K close friends meant he was right.
These folks are very funny.
I don’t think everyone with a social media ____ is a fake, but I get what you’re saying. It’s like a huge buzz word of the past year and everyone thinks they can join.
The problem is that most companies don’t understand what social media marketing is. They see it as a cheap way to get tons of traffic to their site. They don’t see it as it should be. A social media strategist (which is what my official, getting paid for title is) should be the cultural guide for your company’s presence online. They should be the one talking to the natives, telling you how to get through the forest, which roads to not take (unless you are Walmart, Target or Nike you shouldn’t be on every single site out there), and etc.
But if we get to title ourselves.. I’m Queen of the World.
Tabz
Totally with you on this one. There are far too many social media ‘experts’ seeping out of the cracks. Anyone who labels themself a guru is a boasty moron and will not be getting a call for business from me!
I think all the real SM specialists should stand up and give case studies of their work to seperate themselves from the wannabees
I agree. I’m skeptical to the point of not believing anyone anymore.
Not all “gurus” deserve a bad rap. Find someone who is successful and who you trust and follow their lead. They ARE out there.
You can figure out who to trust if you watch them long enough.
@LisaWood : I agree and the idea of this article isn’t to give a bad rap to all the Social Media people out there. There are some that are really good but it seems like it has become a career of choice for all lately. Like I said at the end .. “rant”
There really are far too many experts out there – in fact check this out – there are professional tweeters out there too…man
http://twitter.com/davewiner/status/1254202450
Nicely communicated!
Excellent post. It’s all about relationships. Without relationships, your followers mean nothing. But when they trust you, you can move mountains. Companies need to do their research to find the real deal before investing in a social media strategy. They ARE out there. But as one of your other commenters said, unfortunately a lot of companies don’t yet understand the field well enough to make an informed choice.
You could also swap in the term SEO expert. I’ve seen some really good ones who can assist greatly, and others whose ‘advice’ to clients is simply unfathomable.
Great article. I’m a self branded Social Media Maven, and I can back it up.
However I use sites like twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook very differently than most Guru’s.
I’ll never ask for your business, if you come to me chances are I’ll turn you down.
Try me over the next month, we work with the bug guys. It’s not all about pushing content on sites like Digg or Twitter, but working with your client to make content tasty for social media.
Now I will do a push for clients from time to time, but you’ll never see it coming.
I submit a ton of amazing stories to twitter and 90 percent that content is none business related.
However 10 percent is, and the trick is to mix it in so people just think it’s tasty news.
Just like I pushed the hell out of this article:
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Social+Media+Noob+To+Social+Media+Gurus
Nuf said
Zaibatsu
[...] Tommy Leung | 02.26.2009 | Category: Internet, Marketing This blog post came from someone I follow on Twitter. It talks about all the people who have started calling [...]
Enjoyed your rant. Thank you for going there and taking us with you.
Online is like that. Was in the beginning and it got worse. Doesn’t your high school age nephew make websites or Flash too? So why not for IBM?!
The latest trend is usually something that seems terribly exciting and relevant yet unbounded by measure, common sense, and responsibility.
The distinction of doing something and doing something skillfully always seems blurred when it comes to the web. Just because I can go to the range and shoot at skeet doesn’t make me Bufallo Bill who could break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat.
The distinction may be forever lost on those with ADHD. [grin]
I would like a title too. Baron would be nice. Until I receive it from the proper authorities or, perhaps, professional peers and clients, I’ll remain Stan Faryna.
There is no solution, I regret. I still get really pissed off when a client asks me why this or that has to cost 1000x more than what his neighbor’s son is asking. How do I compete with an army of one and how do I make compelling explanation for assigning 24 professionals to that project.
Until the project is completed or goes down in flames, its all just words, right?
Sometimes. And that’s when it sucks!
Online is headed to hell in a handbasket. But, then again, it always was. And I kinda enjoyed the ride so far- even the bumps. There’s still some road left before we’re all deep in hell.
Stan Faryna
@Faryna
I think you’ve made some really points.
If you’re looking for business advice don’t take the quick fix or the 3 minute wonder strategy. Do business the old fashion way by investing your time and effort and buliding a reliable network of friends, mentors and advisers.
@Zaibatsu : Exactly and thank you for the help.
I agree, we can all label ourselves as experts. Just read up on what new mediums are out there and learn. I’d contract out of I didn’t feel comfortable tackling a medium, whether social or search engine related, otherwise it’s all about keeping up to date and reading online articles since by the time a book is published, something new and fresh has already reached the horizon.
Deco Belle Inc. Global Jewelry
Most social media experts/gurus/consultants have about as much business experience as my cat. Even if they’re marketing experts/gurus/consultants, the fact they lack business acumen makes them pretty useless in terms of understand (a) business use of social media and (b) how to make a profit in a real business.
Let them have their fun: I still enjoy reading the blogs of the 50K+ follower Twitterers, they’re saying things that we’ve been doing for a decade, but then marketers were the same in the dot.com boom of the late 90s…
Business hasn’t changed in decades, social media marketing is just smoke and mirrors – as this piece says, it’s just the same as it’s always been, word of mouth. Nothing’s new.
Jump on blended online/offline networking, that’s *really* where it’s at
I agree! PR “professionals” are completely ignoring the original intent of social media. They’re crashing the party!
I agree with this article completely. I can’t count how many people on twitter think they are SM experts and all they ever mention is Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. There are a gazillion other sites involving social media that would make any client far more successful on the internet than the 3 these ‘Gurus’” always mention.
The fundamentals of Social Media philosophies disappear when old marketing tries desperately to add SM to their skills portfolio.
It’s clue train baby! The rules of social media are still being written and is firmly in the hands of the mob.
Social media is just a de rigueur way of saying networking online. And all the social media wonks who repeat the same banalities like “It’s not about the tools; it’s about the conversation” miss the point. Social media is not about the conversation; networking is about the conversation. Social media is about the tools, because that’s all social media is – tools. And all the rules of networking apply online – respect, not picking your nose in public, giving before you take, etc.
The content is a good way to understand how social media marketing works, and this should guide those who wants to do well in this marketing.
Enjoyed your rant. I tend to use the social approach against the self-appointed. If I need a new dentist, I ask around and check references. I don’t take the word of the first guy I see that happens to say he is the best in town.
Safe bet you’re gonna “win” the $100 on Twitter tonight. LOL.
I’ve followed some of these ‘gurus’ on Twitter and the like, and then tried to engage them in conversation by replying to them, but I get no replies from most of them (@zaibatsu is the exception).
Therefore I quickly unfollow and get on with it with people I can engage with.
I visited a guru’s site today. She has around 15 blog entries accumulative of 7 different blogs that are her own, in a total of 3 years time engaging on the www. She locks all networking profiles as private. I google her name and the only links I get are her locked profiles.
She claims she has been engaged in the internet since 1995 and yet I do not see anything out there.
That is the key: Google their name. If the only time it shows up is for their twitter, facebook or linked in account (and maybe some basketball role call from high school, or the role call of anything along with a list of everyone else), they probably are not a guru.
If they show up all over the place because they actually engage in the real world, chances are they are closer to a guru than not.
Boy are you speaking my language! It doesn’t have to be like that, social media can be good for business but it has to be designed into the site and the site has to be honest in the way it deals with things.
GATE Village offers very little for free, I recognize that people do not value what they don’t pay for and much of the value of social media today is polluted because of all the “free” stuff. It isn’t free, of course, it usually comes at a hefty cost in loss pf privacy (and few realize just how much privacy they’ve given up). There is power behind social media but *I* for one find that few use it as a tool to help them in business — most companies pretend it is a useful tool for their members but are looking for the gift of information from the postings of their users.
GATE Village collects information but uses that information for the betterment of the Village members rather than the betterment of the corporation (though those are linked of course!). For less than the cost of a cell phone, GATE Village offers experts and entrepreneurs a social media site that brings real value to them and allows members’ value to shine through — leaving the people who want to talk about drinking, eating, and gossip out of the mix (because nobody will pay others just to let us know they like to party).
Sorry for the obvious advertisement here, but I thought it was relevant considering the topic.
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Thanks for this post. I definitely agree with what you are saying. I have been talking about this subject a lot lately with my father so hopefully this will get him to see my point of view. Fingers crossed!
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