You lost your job? You have some experience marketing? Thinking about becoming a new media marketing consultant? You have a Twitter or Facebook account? Social media is big right now, is it not? You could be a social media consultant!
Better yet… times are rough, so your company needs to work on new marketing angles? Some of your younger employees are real whizzes with Youtube and Friendfeed? You have heard that Zappos, Southwest, and Burger King are doing social media, right? You could totally put those kids in charge of your new social media campaign!
No, without the experience, you probably could not be a social media consultant, and please do not put those kids in charge of your company’s new media marketing campaign. At least read Businessweek’s 5 social media myths and make sure you’re not buying into the sizzle first.
I applaud people trying to work on their marketing chops and trying to figure out how to use social media for business purposes, but there is a big difference between social media marketing and what I will call “non-social media marketing.” As well, there are many different kinds of social media consultants: technical, creative, crossover, engagement, viral, and on, and on.
Social media has a love/hate relationship with the marketing world. Some of us believe that there is great potential, and we just have not figured out exactly how to transfer that potential to every industry, product, or service. Others of us believe it is just a fad, a buzzword, and that only the inexperienced or the dumb are jumping on that bandwagon.
I tend to be in the former camp, but I am also of the opinion that social media is simply another tool set to use in tandem with other types of marketing. It will not replace non-social media marketing. I mean, only 56% of Americans check their email on a daily basis, but what percentage of people in all developed countries watch TV, read newspapers, listen to the radio, receive mail, or even see billboards on a daily basis? Wouldn’t a comprehensive plan, including both social and non-social media help you reach the largest number of people?
When we talk with clients about marketing campaigns, we make plans around what will draw offline customers online or vice-versa. Can we email a coupon to potential clients and get them to bring a printed version to our shop? Or, how about, can we mail them a postcard that tells them about a special drawing we’re holding for people who submit the best idea to our blog?
This brings me to why you should not ask those whiz kids, as smart as they might be, to help you get a social media marketing campaign going. They might have tons of friends on Myspace, but they have never asked those friends to buy anything from them, have they?
As well, have you checked their Twitter histories to see if they pop off with comments that are inappropriate for business? I’m not saying that it is bad for people to be open on the internet or that individuals should censor themselves, but you want to keep a certain image of your company, right?
Social media consultants are paid to achieve your goals in a professional manner. They have experience, are creative, and know how to leverage online media to turn your website visitors into increased store visits, more phone calls, or increased orders, but they also need to weave non-social media marketing into the work they do for you.
I know that this sounds like a shameless plug for social media consultants, but honestly, it does not cost you anything, but a bit of time, to get one or two of them on the phone and see if their ideas gel with your company’s plans. Or, if you are looking at becoming a consultant, why not email or call one that looks pretty reputable and pick his/her brain?
Everyday, you will hear the same refrain “due to this economy… etc, etc, etc.” Well, if things are getting worse and the pie is shrinking, why not see if someone can help you grab a larger slice so that, when the pie grows again, you’ll be set for even greater revenues. It’s a win-win for you and your potential consultant. But, remember to not be fooled by hype about social media solving your problems. In many cases it needs to come along with a healthy dose of non-social media marketing and real world metrics.
I used to kill people in their dreams before social media.
Well, at least, we have you on the straight and narrow now.
I agree with your comment “I tend to be in the former camp, but I am also of the opinion that social media is simply another tool set to use in tandem with other types of marketing. It will not replace non-social media marketing.” In the Twitter crowd, I hear phrases like “PR is dead” or “the ad agencies are going to be out of business soon”. I think social media is growing, and will continue to grow rapidly. But it’s going to be a long time before the old forms of media are gone. We are living in a bubble if we thing we don’t still need to at least consider them.
Eric,
“but they also need to weave non-social media marketing into the work they do for you.”
I agree, and that’s our philosophy at Referral Key.
I ignore most blogosphere hype however, I must admit that I am one of those whizz kids.
1. You need to conduct yourself in a professional manner.(as you mentioned)
2. Second and often overlooked, you just have to be good with your browser. This extends far beyond the latest version of Firefox. You must choose the right extensions and you must learn the “KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS”.
This is where a lot of older folks who may be professional and internet savvy fail.
I know it sounds silly but I’ve been a SMC for three years and when I fellow consultants “right clicking” and fiddling around, it unnerves me.
The truth is that you need “quality” + “quantity” and the only way you’ll be able to do that is by playing your browser like Beethoven plays a piano.
I’ve subscribed to your blog and look forward to keeping in touch.
Stop by my blog and say hi.
best,
Chris O.
Referral Key
“Your Trusted Referral Network”
http://www.referralkey.com/small-business-blog/
@rachel Good point about needing to consider older forms of media. I suppose though that I don’t really see them fading away as much as I believe they will intermix with newer fews… eg. I can now hear a song on the radio and push a button that tags it for later downloading, or I can watch a political debate online and have my chat comments show up alongside the debate, whether online or on TV. Thanks for the comment, Rachel.
@Chris Yeah, professionalism goes a very long way. I actually spoke with a not-tech-savvy gentlemen yesterday, who said that other young website developers, consultants, etc that he has spoken to about building him a website have bothered him because they couldn’t explain the value to him in terms that he could understand. He knew that he probably needed a website for his business, but felt that someone that couldn’t speak his language wouldn’t listen to him when he talked about what he wanted. Too often, I’ve found that people with great tech skills, but a lack of consulting experience don’t know how to speak to their customers and therefore come across as unprofessional.
I definitely like your blog. Thanks a million for commenting.
Congratulations on a great article that demonstrates a great perspective on internet consulting overall. Social media is but one part in any overall marketing plan for any business. Ultimately, in my opinion, you have a chain of resources which should eventually lead to a highly optimized and top quality web site which in turn leads to an online sale or a contact to the business. A focus purely on Social Media really leaves people with nowhere to go and it won’t be successful on its own.
Well said!
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So long as you are strong in math take the computer science degree. It is a much better, more fundamental science degree. Your instincts are correct, not the counselor’s advice.
I believe if you want to be successful with internet marketing, social media can definitely help you achieve but I have to agree that it has to be done in a professional manner. This is the new trend and I believe this will replace the old way of advertising…
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