Yes, I’m a social media strategist

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/intersectionconsulting/ / CC BY 2.0

Care to tell me otherwise? Also, let’s just clear the water (since you can search my tweets anyway), I used to say that people can’t be social media strategists/experts/whatnot all the time, even as recently as this year. I’m not saying I was right or wrong at the time, nor was anyone else. What I am saying is that now I would be wrong to say that.

Current trend: bash social media titles

For the unaware, there is a prevalent fad on Twitter – and around the blogosphere – to bash those who claim to be social media strategists, experts, etc. It varies from person to person, but the general notion is that any social media title cannot have possibly been earned; although sometimes you will hear something like “I don’t believe in social media experts, but they could be a practitioner.”

How I became a social media strategist

June 22nd, 2008 – I joined Twitter. No way in hell I was a strategist before then, that’s for sure.

Today – I consider myself a social media strategist, but not an expert. So what happened in the last year that moved me along this path?

I read, read, read. Then I talked, learned, ate crow, succeeded, failed, and starting reading some more. Others taught me, and I taught them. Some of my favorite people that helped me along my path, on Twitter at least, are @mayhemstudios, @fleurdeleigh, @chrisbrogan, @scobleizer, and @screenrant. Unknowingly, together they inspired me to break out of my shell even more, be bold, and do what I found passion in. But that is for another time.

Without going too in-depth, over the past year I’ve consulted people & businesses gently regarding social media, too modest to think I really knew anything. Recently, I helped with the social media strategy & execution for the National Civic Summit. It was a great learning experience, and I realized very quickly that I was quite possibly the most aware, adept person there… when it came to social media, at least. It was a serendipitous connection, and I couldn’t be happier that I was involved. Not only did I meet tons of great (and powerful) people, I became quite self-aware at how knowledgeable I’d become at strategizing and executing social media solutions & marketing.

Social media is young, but not new

First, let’s be clear about something: I agree that social media is a young buzzword. I wrote a post a few weeks ago trying to break down the barriers of how we define “social media.” But that does not make it a new buzzword, at least not to the people who have been practicing it for the last several years.

Timeline of modern social media successes (along with a few other successes for comparison):

Sep. 1998: Google
Aug. 1999: Blogger
Jan. 2001: Wikipedia
Oct. 2001: iPod
Dec. 2001: Segway
2001: Abicor artificial heart
Dec. 2002: LinkedIn
2002: Last.fm
Jun. 2003: Second Life
Aug. 2003: Myspace
Oct. 2003: Facebook
2003: Toyota’s hybrid car
2003: WordPress
Feb. 2004: Flickr
Oct. 2004: Yelp
Dec. 2004: Digg
Feb. 2005: YouTube (named Time Magazines Invention of the year in 2006.)
Mar. 2006: Twitter

Interesting to note that Wikipedia came out before the iPod. And Facebook came out before retired hippies could feel better by driving hybrid cars. But would you tell anyone at Apple that they couldn’t be an iPod strategist? Or would you tell vehicle engineers they can’t be experts at hybrid technology?

Why can’t someone be a social media strategist?

Or an expert, innovator, guru, or any other title you can think of. Two of the reasons I’ve heard include:

The field changes often - Don’t most fields? Would you say the same about interactive marketing or web design?
Experts don’t really exist – The implication is no one can be a real “expert,” per se. Instead, they could maybe be an aficionado, or just a practitioner. This is pure poppycock. The world has, and needs, experts. Jon Stewart is an expert at cutting through bullshit. So why can’t you be an expert at social media?

Excuses like these deserve no place in reasonable discussion. Industries change, it’s the nature of business. And of course experts exist, if they didn’t we’d all be lost. Experts are our filters, as well as our guides.

The real problem: titles must be earned

Having said all this, I still would hesitate to call anyone I personally know a social media expert. The self-label temptation is strong for those who know even a smidgen about social media. The opposite temptation is even stronger for those who would call out these experts, and try to bring them down, rather than earn their own status.

It’s a title that must be earned.

Opportunities for growth

There is a huge opportunity for someone to develop decent criteria by which we can measure social media expert status. Awards, case studies, portfolios, they all prove something, but not everything. Certification only goes so far until it becomes outdated, and social media can change rapidly.

Ari Herzog is making some strides with his Internet Fame quiz, but I’d be interested in discovering more objective, universal tests. What do you think? Can social media strategists exist? Can experts? What is your reasoning?

@keithprivette

Very insightful post Tyler I agree with the assessment. I will side with being a Social Media Strategist and I think this is a healthy approach to describing the skill sets needed for help yourself and potential cleints navigate this ever evolving world of the Social Networking\Media\Business\Technology, see ever there an industry name has not been assigned yet like Healthcare or Retail. I like the term aficionado, I think this truly what most people that can "hold their salt" whatever that means...can work between three layers of complexity Strategy -- Stratactical -- Tactical when it comes to business plan to execution. Bet you are wondering what in the world is Stratactical. It is the world of a little big picture strategy stuff with a little throw away tactical stuff to get you closer to executing your business plan.

That is where being a good or even great social media strategist comes in. If you are going to be knighted into the the Kingdom of Expert, one will need to learn, understand, strategize, develop and then deliver the solutions needed for that situation. Once you garner the reputation for doing this time and time again you could call yourself an expert, but I still like two other terms aficionado or thought leader (reserve this one for others to call you this) this leaves room for growth and indicates to people your willingness to teach.

thefriendraiser

update blogger to say 1999 (not 2009)

Tyler Hayes

Now there's a weird glitch! Thanks Jenifer for noticing that. What are your thoughts on this whole matter?

Stuart Foster

Considering this IS my title at Mullen...I can't really argue any differently. However, I'd put the impetus on the best practices rather than the tools.

Tyler Hayes

Couldn't agree with you more there :)

As someone who has this title then, do you ever experience this kind of blowback? What reasoning have you heard? I imagine you have some interesting stories!

SocialNetNannyLanae

Great thoughts Tyler, and I agree on much of it. In all honesty, if I was a client looking for Social Networking/Social Media help, and saw someone claiming to be an 'expert', I would immediately be turned off and look elsewhere.

The feeling I get when someone calls themselves an expert is one of self-gratification. I don't mean to offend anyone personally...this goes for many professional fields, not just Social Networking. I totally support "tooting one's own horn", but it needs to be done with dignity.

Being a strategist, aficionado, or as I have labeled myself...a Social Networking Nanny is more appealing to the general public, in my opinion. My title tells the client I am open to working with you, to lead, guide and assist. I feel that when someone feels they have reached the level of expert there is nothing else to learn, no place else to go.

Social Networking is forever changing, and even before it was the "in" thing, there were many of us selling online and doing social networking without calling it that. Even with that 10 years of experience, I refuse to be titled an 'expert', but rather 'passionate'.

leigh caraccioli

Tyler,

Love your blazin style. Couple of thoughts. Congrats on knowing and being who YOU are regardless of what people name it. Be you. Only you. Labels, titles are only affixed. You grow and change. Second, I'm all giggly that I have been mentioned in the same cluster as @mayhemstudios, @chrisbrogan, @scobleizer, and @screenrant and it leaves me singing..."one of these things is not like the other..."

The "Bashers" are hellbent on sameness. I faced my own set of "bashers" in the photography community which stung a little. Until, I turn a deaf ear, listen to your gut, and define your own style. Sameness is never revolutionary.

To me, your social media strategy is to shake the tree, examine and discuss the fruit and then take a bite. Keep being strategically you, Tyler.

Leigh

The Tyler Hayes