PETER SHANKMAN
| POSTED ON May 20th, 2011 | 448 COMMENTS | + ADD YOUR COMMENT |
I was going to call this article “All “Social Media Experts” need to go die in a fire,” but I figured I should be nicer than that.
But my title stands. If you call yourself a “Social Media Expert,” don’t even bother sending me your resume.
No business in the world should want a “Social Media Expert” on their team. They shouldn’t want a guru, rock-star, or savant, either. If you have a “Social Media Expert” on your payroll, you’re wasting your money.
Being an expert in Social Media is like being an expert at taking the bread out of the refrigerator. You might be the best bread-taker-outer in the world, but you know what? The goal is to make an amazing sandwich, and you can’t do that if all you’ve done in your life is taken the bread out of the fridge.
Social Media is just another facet of marketing and customer service. Say it with me. Repeat it until you know it by heart. Bind it as a sign upon your hands and upon thy gates. Social Media, by itself, will not help you.

bunny ©jimbenton.com
We’re making the same mistakes that we made during the dotcom era, where everyone thought that just adding the term .com to your corporate logo made you instantly credible. It didn’t. If that’s all you did, you emphasized even more strongly how pathetic your company was. You weren’t “building a new paradigm while shifting alternate ways of focusing customers on the clicks and mortar of an organizational exchange.” No, you were simply a freaking idiot who’d be out of business in six months.
Ready for the ultimate kicker? We still haven’t learned! We got thirsty again, and are drinking the same damn ten-year-old Kool-Aid without so much as asking for ice. Rather than embracing this new technology and merging it with what we’ve learned already, we’re throwing off our clothes and running naked in the rain, waving our hands in the air, sure that this time it’ll be different, because this time it’s better!!”
“It’s not about building a website anymore! It’s so much cooler! It’s about Facebook, and fans, and followers, and engagement, and influence, and…”
Will you please shut up before you make me vomit on your shoes?
IT’S ABOUT GENERATING REVENUE THROUGH SOLID MARKETING AND STELLAR CUSTOMER SERVICE, JUST LIKE IT’S BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME.
It’s About Transparency. It’s about not lying to your customers, and thinking that a good Twitter apology will suffice when you’re caught. It won’t, and you’ll lose. Customers will run away in droves, because they can. They can go wherever they want now – It doesn’t matter how loyal they were in the past. Lie to them and get caught, and say goodbye. It’s about using the tools to market to an audience that wants to help tell your story, because you’ve been awesome at providing them with the service they deserve. United’s reaction to “United Breaks Guitars” WASN’T a stellar example of a good use of social media. It was the exact opposite – It was knee-jerk crisis management, that would never have had to happen had United been focused on customer service in their marketing to begin with.
It’s About Relevance. It’s not about tweeting every single time your company offers 10% off on a thingamabob. It’s about finding out where your customers actually are, and going after them there. If you’re tweeting all your discounts, and none of your customers are on Twitter, then you sir, are an idiot. Marketing involves knowing your audience, and tailoring your promotions in specific bursts to the correct segments. “Social media experts” don’t know this. They’ll build you a fan page, and when all that work doesn’t convert into new sales, they’ll simply say “Well, we’ll just post more.” Don’t be that guy. Real marketers know when to market using traditional methods, social media, or even word of mouth. Go ahead. Ask a “social media expert” what a traffic planner does at an agency, then laugh as they quickly ask Google for help finding the answer.
It’s About Brevity. You know what the majority of people calling themselves “Social Media Experts” can’t do, among other things? THEY CAN’T WRITE. The number of “experts” out there who can’t string a simple sentence together astounds me. Guess what – If we have about three seconds to get our message across to a new customer, you know what’s going to do it? Not Twitter Followers. Not Facebook Fans. Not Foursquare Check-ins – NO. What’s going to do it is GOOD WRITING, END OF STORY. BAD WRITING IS KILLING AMERICA. Good writing is brevity, and brevity is marketing. Want to lose me as a customer, forever, guaranteed? Have a grammar error on any form of outward communication.
Finally, it’s about knowing your customer, and making sure your customer thinks of you first. When Barry Diller was running Paramount, he’d call ten people in his Rolodex each morning, just to say hi. That translated into all of Hollywood knowing this previously unknown executive’s name, because he took the time to reach out and communicate. It also translated into Paramount making billions in a time where other movie companies were struggling. Do you know your audience? Have you reached out to them? I’m not talking about “tweeting at them,” I’m talking about actually reaching out. Asking them what you can do better? Asking those who haven’t been around in a while what you can do to get them back? It’s not about 10% off coupons or “contests for the next follower.” For God’s sake, be smarter than that.
You’d never give the intern permission to write the corporate press release to accompany an earnings announcement, so why the hell are you listening to the 22-year-old who says “we’re going to do this social media thing because it’s cool?”
Social media is not “cool.” MAKING MONEY IS COOL. Social Media is simply another arrow in the quiver of marketing, and that quiver is designed to GENERATE REVENUE.
If you’re doing anything else with social media, here’s a book of matches, and I expect to never see you again after the smoke clears.
Tweet|
|
Amen, brother. I’d hang around, but there’s another bright shiny object demanding my attention … some kind of social networking site … |
|
|
Bravo – and thank you, it is easy to get caught up in the social media tornado |
|
|
I can’t wait to read all the responses to this! Bottom line, if you can’t support your customers it is all pointless. |
|
|
Jeff: Happy to: I create companies that in part, use social media as a basis for generating revenue, similar to Help a Reporter Out. I’m taking that niche of marketing and using it to make money, as opposed to using social media to simply “be cool.” I also invest in companies that have a particularly good knowledge of how marketing and social media mix. Check out http://shankman.com/investments-advisory-roles/ for more on that. Cheers, -Peter |
|
|
To Steve Woodruff, don’t ever underestimate an intern. Who knows, maybe someday that intern will be your boss… |
|
|
Ryan: May be untrue for you, but if I get an outbound marketing piece from you and it has a spelling or grammar error in it, I’m not buying from you. End of story. Thanks for the note! |
|
|
Right on. My business niche, investor relations, has a zillion consultants banging the SM drum. I blogged against too > http://muncmedia.typepad.com/r.....tions.html TRANSPARENCY > RELATIONSHIP > REVENUE. |
|
|
Correct. ‘Social media’ in the article can be changed to anything: ‘computer’, ‘internet’ ;P |
|
|
@Haris, the AMEN sentiment is born of hearing someone say OUT LOUD what you’ve been thinking, but couldn’t say for fear of seeming negative or less than a team player. Hope that helps. |
|
|
I agree that those who self proclaim or even willingly accept the title of “social media expert” should be very careful about what they are doing- accepting that one holds a level of expertise in an area where it is well known the most knowledgeable about these forums are likely the digital natives that businesses engaging in social media are in fact targeting… |
|
|
Peter- My buddy just emailed with an “you idiot” subject about that same mistake! haha… |
|
|
“Want to lose me as a customer (donor), forever, guaranteed? Have a grammar error on any form of outward communication.” Shouldn’t that be “grammatical error”? |
|
|
What is the difference between a “Social Media Expert” and your byline of a “Social Media Entrepreneur” ? |
|
|
This is so misunderstood. It`s never “we” the social media experts who call ourselves experts. It`s other people who like calling us that. |
|
|
“GOOD WRITING, END OF STORY.” BRAVO! Content and Style totally hit the Bullseye ~! |
|
|
It’s really quite simple, to me: I don’t want to hire social media people; I want to hire communicators who have taken the time to understand the nuances of social media. |
|
|
Aha!… A kindred spirit. Was beginning to think I was the only one. Question: what’s worse than having a Social Media Expert in your firm? Answer: two Social Media Experts! Mac at http://Clientonomy.com |
|
|
I was going to call this article “All “Social Media Experts” need to go die in a fire,” I think you meant ‘cancer of the face.’ |
|
|
I’ve got to agree with the major thrust of your argument, only to add that the two are not mutually exclusive. I’d hope by now all the “experts”, “gurus”, “ninjas”, etc who actually are able to use the medium effectively have considered using titles that better reflect their business responsibilities. Social media is only a tool/tactic part of a larger communications strategy, and it’s time organizations embrace this by putting the best professionals in place. What may be worse is that some orgs still assign INTERNS to handle social media; I wrote a little more about it on my own blog http://www.matthewhurst.com/20.....ial-media/ . I consider this just as irresponsible as handing the public face of a company to the so-called “social media experts” you’ve written about here. Thanks for sharing this well-thought through and cohesively written argument that speaks out against this class of self-anointed professionals who don’t bring value to their companies. |
|
|
Dave Fleet took the words right out of my mouth. Seriously, I wish I had something more to add but he hit the nail on the head! |
|
|
Right on, Peter! What a great way to start the day — I’m late in posting but I’ve been sharing this folks all morning. Pull back the curtain and let some sun in! |
|
|
People forget the “Media” part of “social medial” and that the “social” aspect – is largely a myth. Ask anyone hit with a set of discovery questions based on a Facebook posting. |
|
|
Been saying this same thing for awhile now. But not nearly as well. Cheers to this, Shankman. And, how’s the weight loss thing going? |
|
|
Read this book: http://www.amazon.com/New-Rule.....0470113456 Then talk to me. You’re right, in that a social media expert in a vacuum is worthless. However, I won’t go as far to say it’s the arrow in your analogy. It’s probably more akin to the quiver, especially when you realize that the term “social media” refers to more than Twitter and Facebook. By some definitions, it includes blogging, newsletters and email marketing. It’s not just about how many followers you have, either. It’s what you do with them. Your criticism is, by and large, based on a large, corporate and soon-to-be outdated approach to marketing. Not that this means basic marketing principles are getting thrown out the window. It just means that they’re being relocated. Again, read the book. (No, it’s not mine.) If you were buying media in the past, you were analyzing audience size and potential ROI and a whole mess of other factors. When you invest in social media by incorporating it into your strategy, you get to control the message’s size, content, frequency AND audience. What ad spot can give you that? I’ll give you credit, because you’re not saying social media is worthless, and you’re admitting that, to some extent, a knowledgeable person on the subject has something to offer. It’s still important to realize that social media isn’t just an “add-on” to your overall marketing and PR strategy (or- as is more appropriate today- your communication strategy); it should play a pretty substantial role in it if you want to keep up or start up. |
|
|
I waited a year before using social media to promote my product – FitDesk – the best way to stay in shape while using a computer or video game. Now I have a page http://www.facebook.com/fitdesk. I am selling more bikes now that I have the page… but I agree with P.S. that I did not need a Social Media expert to make it happen. $2000 too late. |
|
|
Lauren: How do “print advertising” “outdoor advertising” “out of home” advertising, and other things similar fit into the quiver if you’re calling the quiver social media? |
|
|
Great post. Anyone who mistakes expertise in one set of techniques for true professional competence is at best a hack. Social media is very useful but only one of many tools in the kit. Thanks. |
|
|
Matt: You’re RIGHT!! That’s my point! Don’t hire a SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT – Hire a MARKETER!! Hire someone who knows MARKETING, not just how to spell “Twitter.” :) |
|
|
The new gospel. Right on! Make a bumper sticker of “Bad Writing Is Killing America” . . . |
|
|
I’m going to Amen and add a Hallelujah! HA! Always great to read your work Peter…(How is my ass kissing going?) |
|
|
Peter But I also think just en masse bashing everyone in the field as you are prone to do is also not useful, not edu-focused and frankly a little redundant. Having been online since 1996 and spending a decade as a technology journalist – ebusiness journalist, the phenomenon of seeing how this terms fall and rise is just part the hype cycle. (See Gartner Hype Cycle – http://www.gartner.com/technol.....-cycle.jsp ) The hard work is not commenting on the terminology or the hype good or bad, and not bashing folks – it’s actually producing results, good relevant content and moving people away from the fear of using these tools. Which I agree, are just at the end of the day new tools for lead generation and media visiblity. It’s curious that Google returns hundreds of results if I do a search for Peter Shankman social media expert – here are just a few- http://www.prweb.com/releases/.....978234.htm |
|
|
Hi Peter, Good article; good read! While I agree with your assessment that most companies are taking the wrong approach with “social media”, I would offer the opinion that it isn’t necessarily ALL about “making money”. Or, at least, it doesn’t have to be. Vancity Credit Union in Canada is taking an interesting approach, focusing on the “social” instead of the “media”, and has empowered regular employees to engage the public. I am very excited to follow their journey, and hope that it will succeed and inspire companies to engage their customers and the communities in which they operate. You should check it out! http://azaroff.com/?p=5546 |
|
|
Heck, one of my posts on this very topic — was picked up on SocialMediaToday.com few months ago. http://socialmediatoday.com/bi.....cial-media Best Social Media Strategist will not even look at it as a social media. It’s how you connect it to the business objectives. Writing another post on this to highlight your post Peter, as we speak. ;) |
|
|
@Bilal Jaffery Right on. I look at my job as Communications, Marketing and Corporate Relations. |
|
|
Most welcome, Added a little more here on my blog: http://www.bilal.ca/why-you-sh.....pertninja/ Incorporated Gary’s latest mantra of calling them out! |
|
|
I totally agree with you! I mentioned something similar on my website – http://www.aahsomepr.com – sometime ago. “Just because everyone’s doing it (social media) doesn’t mean it’s right for you. We’ll determine whether social networks are right for your industry and your company.” “We don’t believe in jumping on the bandwagon just because “everyone else is doing it.” It must make sense. Business sense.” |
|
|
Cheri, you just invoked Goodwin’s law! Your time here is done. Thank you for playing! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law |
|
|
This is so damn preachy it makes me want to vomit on your shoes. Good points, crappy attitude. |
|
|
Loving your punch, pomp and info loaded messages! Nice work. Keep it going. Alex |
|
|
Outstanding article! I couldn’t agree more on all accounts. Too many people think Social Media is the cure-all. |
|
|
Thank you! So many offers from Social Media “experts” filling my inbox! Who can’t figure out how to make a FB page? Sheesh. Let’s move on already. |
|
|
I am a Social Media Expert, Web2.0 Expert, SEO Guru and DotCom strategist. Do what I say and you will make a ton of money. :) |
|
|
Enjoyable post and interesting comment thread, almost more interesting to see who is not here than who is here, isn’t it? |
|
|
Dead on. I would disagree with one thing. Social Media is cool. However, as you said, cool isn’t the point. increasing revenue is the point. Love it. -Pie |
|
|
“…GOOD WRITING, END OF STORY. BAD WRITING IS KILLING AMERICA.” ‘Nuff said. Seriously! |
|
|
writing IS slightly important to me. Consultants make mistakes. Experts never! |
|
|
If the title, expert, is bad, then how about synonyms specialist, wizard, maven, aficionado, or pro? |
|
|
While I agree with you that you are not a social media expert ;) – I also take the risk to get tarred and feathered, grilled in the hell of all -anti-socialmedians but I totally disagree with your reasoning. You declare “Social Media is just another facet of marketing and customer service” I really hoped we were over this by now – but there are apparently still those who preach what people thought about social media 5 years ago. If that would be true: If the purpose of your post was to get attention, I’m happy to add to it :) Have a great weekend Axel |
|
|
Wow — bless you for telling the truth about the Emperor and his lack of wardrobe. This is why I subscribe to your blog! |
|
|
Enjoyed this post. Posts or newsletters with misspellings and grammatical errors are really annoying and hard to read! (Hope my spell checker worked.) |
|
|
You need to read this |
|
|
Ha Vanity ! Vanity … Vanity, definitely my favorite sin – John Milton in “The Devil’s Advocate” |
|
|
Did you correct PRWeb and weren’t you pissed when this article was printed? |
|
|
Had someone note Social Media Experts were the Tupperware & HerbalLife of the Digital Age. Right up there with SEO services or experts. Pure snakeoil. Great Post |
|
|
So, why can’t someone be a marketing expert and a social media expert? Someone call an ambulance, there’s a strawman dying on the ground! |
|
|
Well said my friend. Well said. Peter, when did expert consultants become coaches? Are coaches now regarded as expert consultants? Just asking. |
|
|
Couldn’t agree more about the spelling and grammar errors. Totally cringe-worthy and earn the sender a swift “delete” every time. I have no mercy. Thanks for the great article… |
|
|
Looks like HARO needs a new tagline – “Everyone is an Expert at Something…except social media” |
|
|
This post is way too general, especially when considering Fortune 500 companies. |
|
|
All good points. I lived through the .com days and now this. This was spot on . |
|
|
Like always Peter, you get it soooo right – and make me laugh out loud in the process. Thanks for being a (funny) voice of reason. |
|
|
I totally agree – SEO experts and Social Media “Gurus” are mostly charlatans. I drew a topical comic on that very subject that may resonate with this article: |
|
|
“Social Media is just another facet of marketing and customer service” : I agree and, more generally, I think it’s all about communication and perception management. |
|
|
Great advice Peter. This is no different than any bubble. The real marketers will be left standing when all is said and done. |
|
|
Social media experts are bottom feeders who are using ignorance about marketing to promote their personal brand. Why is that 99% of these “experts” can tell us what to do but when you ask them what real results they provided beyond vanity metrics like “engagement and followers” they usually have a blank slate ? http://www.richsmanagementblog.com/ |
|
|
@Jaym |
|
|
I’ve written a blog post in response to this article: |
|
|
I have been schooled. I am rethinking what I call myself and how I brand my business. This is savvy advice and I like the comparison. Smart. |
|
|
Great points, despite what Rand says. He clearly didn’t read (or understand) your article. The half-assing of social media by amateurs is creating a bubble of stupidity. |
|
|
It’s so funny how different the climate is on businessinsider.com, where the comments are basically raking Peter over the coals. Those of us who love and respect him, though, “get” it. It’s the whole bright, shiny object thing. If you’re not doing it and you see that everyone else is doing it, you jump on the bandwagon even though you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Let’s get back to basic marketing, which is about building relationships with people who need/want what you have and then reaching/finding them in the ways that resonate most with them. For some, it may be social media; others it may be traditional advertising; and still others, it may be a handshake and a cup of coffee. A quality product and exceptional customer service are the mainstays of every successful business, but without customers, it doesn’t matter. And, the reality is that to reach them, you may have to hire an “expert” who knows more about it than you do. So, where are the customers? Well, according to a study by comScore and Group M Search, they’re online. More than half of those surveyed use a combination of search engines and social media to fuel their purchasing decisions, but just one percent use ONLY social media before buying. What that tells me is that social media is an important tool, but it’s not the only one in the toolbox. On another note, as I write this, I am watching the tweets come in from those involved in the rescue efforts following the devastating tornado in Joplin, MO. I’m reminded that If it were not for social media, we would not be able to be as connected as we are to what’s happening there, or Japan, or our own communities. And, I think that’s the most important point. Let’s not forget that doing business is about being connected to our customers. |
|
|
I agree and disagree with Peter. I want someone with social media expertise, but not a social media expert. Is that semantics? http://mlmcagency.blogspot.com.....r-foe.html |
|
|
Peter, I see you are listed in the social media business directory Invest in Social and are categorized as a consultant — http://www.investinsocial.com/.....-shankman/. Invest in Social defines a consultant as “a person offering social media planning, creative or management services to clients, on contract or freelance terms.” Dictionary.com defines the term “consultant” as “a person who gives professional or expert advice.” If you are a) listed in a social media business directory and are b) categorizing yourself as a consultant therein, then c) are you not implying that you are, in fact, a social media expert, or at least someone with enough social media expertise as to be considered worthy of being hired? It seems to me that your presence there nullifies your argument and, at worse, makes you out to be a hypocrite. If you rail against the term “expert,” is there another that you prefer to use in its place? |
|
|
The best article I´ve ever read about this subject. Thanks to put down in words this opinion, I´m going to share this here in Brazil to all my contacts. |
|
|
Peter, I think you nailed it when you posted on Rand’s blog. BTW, this truly needs to be settled over a beer. Also, I could not resist blogging about this, and credit you for the inspiration behind the whole thing. Hope you take a peek: Barry Diller: The Original Social Media “Expert”! (Rand Fishkin v. Peter Shankman) http://bit.ly/kJGgc3 |
|
|
What’s the difference between a “social media expert” and a “social media entrepreneur?” Since you bill yourself as the latter, I guess you won’t be hiring yourself. ;-) Loved your rant, btw. |
|
|
Harry: I create companies that in part, use social media as a basis for generating revenue, similar to Help a Reporter Out. I’m taking that niche of marketing and using it to make money, as opposed to using social media to simply “be cool.” I also invest in companies that have a particularly good knowledge of how marketing and social media mix. Check out http://shankman.com/investments-advisory-roles/ for more on that. Cheers, -Peter |
|
|
One question: How do you vomit on the shoes of someone who is running around naked? |
|
|
This might be the best article my eyes have ever read. I have nothing more to contribute to this conversation other than my overwhelming support of this post. |
|
|
Peter, http://info.laura-kinoshita.co.....-in-a-Fire Fantastic post regardless. Love your passion, and despite my rebuttal, I do agree with you. |
|
|
whenever a site says anything like a quick and easy way to make money this should raise suspicions |
|
|
Social media “experts” are the equivalent of newspaper delivery boys from a bygone era: Young, cheerfuly illiterate, oblivious to how a newspaper is put together, and usually missing the porch. |
|
|
This was one of the most refreshing pieces I ever read! Thanks for the raw and point blank talk. Jim |
|
|
So, say you’d played everything right. How would you handle a strategic social media attack such as the one launched by Media Matters/DropFox on Orbitz? Talk about a conundrum. None of the conventional logic applies as far as I can see. https://www.facebook.com/Orbitz/posts/10150197236647728 |
|
|
Is bad writing killing America? Maybe…http://karensouthw.wordpress.c.....ess-again/ I loved this article and the spirited debate! |
|
|
Have to agree with Nettie here. The less articles on hype the better. Need to focus on education. That means actually helping practitioners–not playing the Scarlet Letter shaming people who are also just trying to find bread to put in their fridge or what have you. If companies don’t do their due diligence, that’s their fault. In every new industry there are people who can’t executive on the promised deliverables. Companies need to focus more time and resources on this. Jeremiah Oywang’s report on the Social Strategist was helpful. http://blakelandau.wordpress.c.....st-enough/ I see this blog got a lot of attention. Good for you. |
|
|
Late to this party, and it’s a doozy. Amen to what Peter said. May he never want to vomit on my shoes. |
|
|
I have to disagree. I think there’s a lot more to social media than a broadcast channel for marketeers. I do concede that a dedicated expert is rarely appropriate for all but the largest brands but as a device for marketing it is unparalleled. The mane difference between social media and other facetes of marketing is the ease with which you can listen. That’s what makes the difference. The number of companies who are adaptively marketing and responding to issues and criticism is rising quickly due – entirely – to having access to a level of data in a different order to any they have had before. I know these comments are getting a little stagnent now but I posted a response on my blog, here: http://chrisscott.org/social-m.....dia-expert. |
|
|
I was just amused at your post’s lack of brevity after touting that quality. |
|
|
In 2001, if you didn’t have any usable job skills, you called yourself a webmaster. In 2011, it’s social media expert. |
|
|
@Charleen – hilarious comment. It is sad but true though- social media experts provide as much value as my pinky toe. |
|
|
Liz G I couldn’t agree with you more if you can’t fulfill the needs of your clients then you are wasting your time. |
|
|
I agree and disagree with the original post. I agree that social media marketing should not be the sole driver of a website or product and pursued in isolation. Rather it should be part of the marketing and SEO mix. If somebody wants to class themselves as a social media marketing guru that’s fine with me, just so long as they don’t portray it as the new kid on the block and that everything taught in the past is history and should be ignored. On the other hand, it appears that social networking is having a major influence on Google rankings post Panda. Just listen to the 1 minute video from Matt Cutts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYJV9zHy04 |
|
|
peter, thanks you for restoring what it should be the simple common sense… |
|
|
I just got here from twitter, and all i can say is, “you spoke my mind”, and someting more : may i translate your article on my french website? |
PETER TO SPEAK
FOR THE NEWSLETTER




