Buzz it!
I don’t normally rant about things, especially when everyone else is ranting about them, but I was inspired after reading a rant by Olivier Blanchard (aka, the Brand Builder) about a nearly $3,000 course offered by a particular social media… thing, which offers you the opportunity to become certified… in something.
You’ve got to read Olivier’s post for a sense of context.
I’m going to go out on a limb and just presume that 99.3% of the people who read this blog post will not be social media experts. At least not in the sense that you have something substantial to back up that title. I don’t call myself one, even though I think I know a little tiny something.
The reason I don’t call myself a social media expert… or guru… or maven is not because of a lack of certification (after all, the green box above does entitle me, right?). It’s because of some of the points Olivier highlights. Namely…
- Nobody else calls me a social media expert. (Except for the anonymous organization represented in my pretty green badge)
- No major corporation has hired me as a social media expert. Well, there was that time Bob’s Used Tires and Web Design asked me several very important questions about Twitter… but I think I paid them…
- I’m not sure exactly what “Social Media program integration (ops)” is, but Olivier does. I consider him an expert, by the way.
- I have some Twitter followers, some Facebook friends, and some LinkedIn connections. What I don’t have is the ability to move the ROI needles for Bob’s Tires and Web Design… at least not substantially enough to earn a huge whopping social media guru/expert/maven consulting fee.
On a more serious note, I think I have some killer thoughts about how companies and organizations should be utilizing social media to connect with their target tribes. I’d love to share that knowledge with almost anyone willing to listen. But guru I am not.
What am I? I’m an influence junkie, and so far, nobody is offering a certification for that!
Really, read Olivier’s article, especially if you’re a guru.
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The scary thing is folks are probably silly enough to actual pay for the certification program. Yikes! :)
Ms. Freeman´s last blog ..Google Wave Invitations Giveaway Drawing
You’re right… sadly.
Personally I hate the term “guru”. I see it so much on Twitter these days it makes me aggravated. Should I call myself a fence guru just because I blog about it, sell fence materials, and was a fence contractor?
Truthfully, the people that take these courses are the exact ones I usually hate to follow on Twitter because all they tweet about is links to their own stuff. I really think they missed the boat on social media and what it is about. IMHO it is more about sharing and discovering information than about making money. I have a business that makes me money, and yes I post links and info about my business, but I do it very sparingly and post about other people/businesses that I think my followers will enjoy much more!
Just my $.02
Keith @ Superior Fence Products´s last blog ..Vinyl Privacy Fence Products
Good points, Keith. Self-promotion in moderation seems like a pretty simple principle, should be easier to grasp.
One of the things I have learned is that atleast with twitter and it may show up with social networks as well is the power of the profile avatar in the feed. Every time you post about something value, people see your logo. What is it doing? Promoting you. You don’t have to push traffic per say to each and every new post you make, especially more than once a day or week as the case may be.
Just find value, and share it!
Daniel Berman´s last blog ..How-To Build A Searchable Lifestream
Now that’s wise brand-building – establish yourself as an influencer.
Hi,
I just approached your blog via Blogengage.com, the title just inspired me to click on the link anyway :)
So, after reading your post I remember a webpage I was just referred to by my friend that was about taking online courses for Google Adsense and Social Media and than to earn money by going through their cheats. In fact there wasn’t anything they were to deliver but just to make something silly jobs and the most funny thing was the statement which I remembered “Get Google Adsense Certified” :)
So, it is indeed scary but funny too.
- J.
Thanks James, and I’m glad to know the title was compelling!
Hey Brandon! I like your style – sounds a lot like where I’m at as well! (I think I linked here from a comment you made on http://www.beginnerblogger.com)
I’m pretty sure that if Bob’s Tires were willing, I could provide them with a pretty decent local social marketing strategy too – but at the end of the day will Bob sell more tires or fix more cars as a result? Well, whether it’s me, or you, Chris Brogan or Seth Godin “doin’ the guru” – the jury is still out on that, aren’t they?!
I’m ALWAYS happy to run into folks like you in my quest to make a jillion dollars – who are not hucksters and hypesters, they just understand that social media is really cool, has LOTS of potential and are just trying to find away to add value to their own lives while (hoopefully) adding value to the lives of the clients, subscribers and dare I say it, followers!
Cheers!
@donpower
Don Power´s last blog ..How to Make A Jillion Dollars
Thanks Don – I’m honored to be considered among the cool!
Hahaha! Cheers Brandon!
@donpower
Don Power´s last blog ..How to Make A Jillion Dollars
I’ll consider you a maven if you wish, but I think it’s that whole lipstick on a pig thing. ;)
I have become convinced that if you charge enough people will call you a guru. I can’t believe the amount of money people will shell out for information that even I could have given them for free. I don’t know, what do you think?
Brad Harmon´s last blog ..Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain I
I think charging for social media advice is okay, as long as what you’re saying is more substantial than what someone could find anywhere online for free.
Basically, I think if you produce real, visible results for an organization, you’ve been worth your salt. But to charge someone money to tell them they need a Twitter account and a Facebook page? That’s where I think we’re selling tap water.