So you want to hire a social media expert?
The topic can be very misunderstood and somewhat controversial – for a number of reasons. Some businesses believe a social media expert is somewhat like a god. Supposedly the experts know a world that they don’t or don’t have time to know. Which could be true. But the social media world is a microcosm of the bigger marketing world.
Some online influencers (bloggers) think the term social media expert is laughable. There’s not a lot of trust that the experts really are experts. But there are really good ones.
The reality is that before you hire an expert, you have to know what you’re hiring him or her for:
1. It’s all about marketing. You’re not hiring a social media expert to come up with your brand’s positioning and strategy — you’re hiring the expert to help you deliver your messages and consumer conversations to stay on strategy. If you want to think your Social Media expert is a god or goddess — fine. But s/he is the god or goddess of delivery tools, not your marketing and communications plans. Your god or goddess can play an important role in your strategy and program development, even be the driver at times — but s/he’s not your marketing VP.
2. It’s not social media v. traditional media. You have to remember — it’s all media. And whether traditional or social, each is a tool or path to reach your target consumer. Both traditional media and social media exist. And most consumers read / watch both. You need someone who works with you to determine the best mix.
3. Social media doesn’t work in a vacuum. Following the theory of No. 1 and 2, keep in mind that social media does not work alone. You may have a great Facebook page, but you need to be talking about it — whether that’s through media, events, advertising, etc. — in many places to entice consumers to visit. Creating a push-pull of both traditional and social media is the best way to gain more chatter about your brand. Sometimes a story in The New York Times will push bloggers to write about your brand. Some times bloggers talking about your product will prompt The New York Times to pay attention.
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