Christopher S. Penn – Marketing AI Keynote Speaker

How powerful is your social media?

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Christopher S Penn
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Thousands of followers on Twitter.

Klout Score of 99.99999.

Blog/PR/Twitter/Facebook/etc. Grader ranks you in the top X on the network of your choice.

All of these sound familiar, right? All of these sound wonderful, showcase your social media expertise, innovation, thought leadership, cutting edge, leading, luminary status. Fine and good.

How much power do you actually have?

BoatsWhen someone sends you a message asking for help finding a job, how powerful is your social media skill? Can you actually help them find a job with your network in a reasonable amount of time, or are your tweets, retweets, notes, and comments simply disappearing into the ether with no discernible results?

This is why I adamantly oppose anyone calling themselves – or calling me – a social media expert, guru, luminary, etc. I can’t guarantee that if you come to me, my network can provide you a new job opportunity in 24 hours. I can’t guarantee that if you come to me, my network can put together amazing amounts of business to restore you to profitability.

I would expect anyone billing themselves as a social media expert to have such great power and authority that they could do exactly that. Need a new job? One hit to the network and you’re all set. Need customers? A blog post on your super-authoritative blog instantly brings new success. I can’t and won’t make that promise. I know that I can’t fulfill it. Very few people can.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to have conversations with hundreds of people about social media, and a lot of people are passing the pitcher of Kool Aid and drinking too much. Social media is important in that it does help you expand your networks, your horizons, and your ability to connect with colleagues, consumers, professionals, and customers in new and different ways. Direct to consumer communication and interaction is unquestionably one of the continuing trends and people need to stay in front of what’s happening. That said, social media is not a panacea or a magic wand and far too many people are piling on incredibly unrealistic expectations of what social media should be able to do for them.

If you have solid business practices and revenue models, don’t you dare give them up in the hopes that a shiny object can improve them. Continue what you know works while you test new things. If you have a broken business model, a broken revenue model, you need to fix the foundations of your house first before delving into social media. No amount of Tweeting about your company will shore up bad fundamentals. If your product, service, idea, or company is unremarkable, social media will only communicate that fact broadly and quickly.

Participate in social media, but don’t expect it to be a lifeboat if your ship is going down. At best, it’s a fine oar that requires you to already be sitting in a solid boat.

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Comments

30 responses to “How powerful is your social media?”

  1. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    Chris — on the one had I could not agree with you more that social media is not a panacea for an ailing (or for that matter, healthy) business or organization or whatever. On the other hand, I do think many in the social media community have an unhealthy fixation on not wanting to be called an expert. Expertise comes in many forms and levels. I would definitely consider you an expert when it comes to social media strategy and tactics around certain marketing challenges — if I didn't I wouldn't bother to listen to your podcast every week! But that certainly doesn't mean I think you're always right or always going to have the answer, any more than I'd expect to hire as an expert to fix my pumping to wave a magic wand and say “all fixed.”

    I think people who have spent their time developing a level of expertise in using social media to address particular kinds of challenges should be allowed to claim a certain level of 'expertise' without risking the wraith of others in the space. We should support those who are legitimately trying to promote the proper use of this stuff, not tar everyone with a dirty brush.

    Reply
  2. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    Sorry, 'pumping' should have been 'plumbing' — damn dyslexia! 😉

    Reply
  3. Christopher S. Penn Avatar
    Christopher S. Penn

    I suppose it all depends on what benchmarks you use. I look at expertise from a martial arts perspective – if you are truly an expert, then there's very little doubt about what outcome will be produced when X happens. I watch my teacher and his teacher and know full well what outcomes there will be from a given scenario, and that's why they're experts to me.

    With social media – there's perhaps a degree of expertise that's available, true, but it's obscured by a whole lot of people making self promotional noises.

    Reply
  4. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    That's a little bit of an apples and airplanes comparison to me — martial arts practices have been codified in some case over centuries, as you well know.

    Traditional media might be a better comparison — if say for example Hugh Downs wanted to have a business card that said “news broadcasting expert” and went to market as a consultant, I don't think anyone would take him to task for it, even though he couldn't make any specific promises about what he could accomplish if he joined a specific organization. You could only go on his reputation and past accomplishment, and I think THAT'S closer to how we should be looking at this, IMHO.

    Reply
  5. Stuartfoster Avatar
    Stuartfoster

    Social Media is just another stream for communicating information. That's it. It has a cool name and can do some really awesome things…but it doesn't have experts. Can one be an expert communicator? Probably…but do you really want to hire someone that bills themselves as such?

    Reply
  6. Art Aiello Avatar
    Art Aiello

    Very well put, Chris. I think that one of the reason so many people tend to jump on the social media expert bandwagon is because the obstacles to entry are so low. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can dabble and learn. Those who have been at it for a while feel they've earned the right to be called expert. Those who know little about it are eager to ride their coattails. But again–social media is a tool. As you said, you can't throw out everything you have been doing because someone has dangled this shiny new medium in front of you and claimed it was prophesied by Nostradamus. And it is not a magic tool that will rescue a sinking ship. Thanks for putting these ideas forth.

    Reply
  7. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    Chris — on the one had I could not agree with you more that social media is not a panacea for an ailing (or for that matter, healthy) business or organization or whatever. On the other hand, I do think many in the social media community have an unhealthy fixation on not wanting to be called an expert. Expertise comes in many forms and levels. I would definitely consider you an expert when it comes to social media strategy and tactics around certain marketing challenges — if I didn't I wouldn't bother to listen to your podcast every week! But that certainly doesn't mean I think you're always right or always going to have the answer, any more than I'd expect to hire as an expert to fix my pumping to wave a magic wand and say “all fixed.”

    I think people who have spent their time developing a level of expertise in using social media to address particular kinds of challenges should be allowed to claim a certain level of 'expertise' without risking the wraith of others in the space. We should support those who are legitimately trying to promote the proper use of this stuff, not tar everyone with a dirty brush.

    Reply
  8. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    Sorry, 'pumping' should have been 'plumbing' — damn dyslexia! 😉

    Reply
  9. Christopher S. Penn Avatar
    Christopher S. Penn

    I suppose it all depends on what benchmarks you use. I look at expertise from a martial arts perspective – if you are truly an expert, then there's very little doubt about what outcome will be produced when X happens. I watch my teacher and his teacher and know full well what outcomes there will be from a given scenario, and that's why they're experts to me.

    With social media – there's perhaps a degree of expertise that's available, true, but it's obscured by a whole lot of people making self promotional noises.

    Reply
  10. Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot Avatar
    Jay Moonah from Wild Apricot

    That's a little bit of an apples and airplanes comparison to me — martial arts practices have been codified in some case over centuries, as you well know.

    Traditional media might be a better comparison — if say for example Hugh Downs wanted to have a business card that said “news broadcasting expert” and went to market as a consultant, I don't think anyone would take him to task for it, even though he couldn't make any specific promises about what he could accomplish if he joined a specific organization. You could only go on his reputation and past accomplishment, and I think THAT'S closer to how we should be looking at this, IMHO.

    Reply
  11. Jlbraaten Avatar
    Jlbraaten

    Chris, ultimately, it appears that having a well-rounded strategy that focuses on your business goals is the key.

    Twitter et al. are great, but it's only one tool in a very large kit. Pick the right one(s) for the job and don't over do it. Makes sense.

    Things at USF are done in two weeks. I start the Advanced SEO and Usability course in June (whoop whoop!).

    Reply
  12. Stuart Foster Avatar
    Stuart Foster

    Social Media is just another stream for communicating information. That's it. It has a cool name and can do some really awesome things…but it doesn't have experts. Can one be an expert communicator? Probably…but do you really want to hire someone that bills themselves as such?

    Reply
  13. Jason Cronkhite Avatar
    Jason Cronkhite

    Chris,

    Refreshing post. Well said and I would just add that SMM needs to be a tool in the box used to compliment other interactive marketing efforts or integrated for that matter. I too steer clear of the “Expert” title as this space is still evolving and if we are ever to hand out the expert title I think there should be a community that judges and awards such a credential.

    Now, Guru, I admit I've described myself that way I personally consider “Expertise” a much stronger adjective of which I don't claim. I know alot as do many but ultimately we are all practitioners to varying degrees.

    Finally, yes I agree 100% re: business models and performance. Social Media is an enhancement to your overall business operation and should be looked at critically but with the right expectations.

    Cheers,
    Jason

    Reply
  14. Art Aiello Avatar
    Art Aiello

    Very well put, Chris. I think that one of the reason so many people tend to jump on the social media expert bandwagon is because the obstacles to entry are so low. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can dabble and learn. Those who have been at it for a while feel they've earned the right to be called expert. Those who know little about it are eager to ride their coattails. But again–social media is a tool. As you said, you can't throw out everything you have been doing because someone has dangled this shiny new medium in front of you and claimed it was prophesied by Nostradamus. And it is not a magic tool that will rescue a sinking ship. Thanks for putting these ideas forth.

    Reply
  15. Burma jade Avatar
    Burma jade

    Social media will be more important…………

    Reply
  16. jlbraaten Avatar
    jlbraaten

    Chris, ultimately, it appears that having a well-rounded strategy that focuses on your business goals is the key.

    Twitter et al. are great, but it's only one tool in a very large kit. Pick the right one(s) for the job and don't over do it. Makes sense.

    Things at USF are done in two weeks. I start the Advanced SEO and Usability course in June (whoop whoop!).

    Reply
  17. Jason Cronkhite Avatar
    Jason Cronkhite

    Chris,

    Refreshing post. Well said and I would just add that SMM needs to be a tool in the box used to compliment other interactive marketing efforts or integrated for that matter. I too steer clear of the “Expert” title as this space is still evolving and if we are ever to hand out the expert title I think there should be a community that judges and awards such a credential.

    Now, Guru, I admit I've described myself that way I personally consider “Expertise” a much stronger adjective of which I don't claim. I know alot as do many but ultimately we are all practitioners to varying degrees.

    Finally, yes I agree 100% re: business models and performance. Social Media is an enhancement to your overall business operation and should be looked at critically but with the right expectations.

    Cheers,
    Jason

    Reply
  18. alexanderhayes Avatar
    alexanderhayes

    With so many advertisements for everything other than a comment I wonder if I’m typing in the right box……and I agree.

    Time to get a life…..maybe our way of looking at the world might help – http://edupov.com

    Reply
  19. Michael Specht Avatar
    Michael Specht

    Chris good post!

    Having been described as a social media expert today for the first time to a group of 100 HR managers it was quite an expectation to live up too.

    I have heard that to be an expert in a discipline you need to have worked at it for 10yrs, I just can't remember where I have heard it. So very few people could begin to claim expertise when put against that benchmark.

    110% agree social media is not a silver bullet and now amount of social media strategy will save your failing product/company etc. However as part of an overall strategy it might just take you from average success to great success.

    Also there is a massive lack of hard dollar ROI figures when you talk to most “experts”. Instead you get the whole “I got them X thousand followers” blah blah blah! As you said show me the money! To do this you need a clear business objective as to why you are getting involved!

    (I hope this makes sense no sleep for 24hrs is making me see double!)

    Reply
  20. Larry Lawfer Avatar
    Larry Lawfer

    Another excellent and well crafted post, Chris. Thank you. As I watch the churning of these social media experts touting it as the solution I wonder if they even know the question. To me the question is what do you want to do, then how can you best do it. By jumping into social media and growing an audience does not mean that audience is following, it certainly doesn't mean your voice, however delivered, is persuading anyone. It all comes down to knowing what you are trying to do it and then using the right tools for the job. It is not about the tools of social media, ever. It just isn't.

    Reply
  21. Authority Networker Avatar
    Authority Networker

    Many people buy into the crappy downline secrets and internet network marketing lead generation tactics of IM gurus and not much attention is paid to the quality of the product that is being sold. You must be able to identify the needs and frustrations that your potential clients face. Then you should develop an attractive and personal business identity. This is the concept behind attraction marketing, a new internet network marketing lead generation technique where you develop ongoing relationships with clients and become a person of value by educating your buyers first and then moving them along the buying path in your communications. The combination of internet network marketing and social media, if done right, is a perfect attraction marketing strategy to establish your presence in a number of different places on the Web and reach potential customers anywhere in the world. Traditional marketing will never be able to target as precisely as social media marketing. Just imagine the social media profits you can have in being able to recruit people from different places.

    Reply
  22. Social Media Power Avatar
    Social Media Power

    The thing is with a lot of social media, seo or other internet marketers is they are so wrapped up in their clients work that their own website efforts suffer. So if you consider yourself a social media expert it's not that you should be able to ping your own network but it's the power of your clients networks as a result of the work/consulting you did for them.

    Reply
  23. Michael Specht Avatar
    Michael Specht

    Chris good post!

    Having been described as a social media expert today for the first time to a group of 100 HR managers it was quite an expectation to live up too.

    I have heard that to be an expert in a discipline you need to have worked at it for 10yrs, I just can't remember where I have heard it. So very few people could begin to claim expertise when put against that benchmark.

    110% agree social media is not a silver bullet and now amount of social media strategy will save your failing product/company etc. However as part of an overall strategy it might just take you from average success to great success.

    Also there is a massive lack of hard dollar ROI figures when you talk to most “experts”. Instead you get the whole “I got them X thousand followers” blah blah blah! As you said show me the money! To do this you need a clear business objective as to why you are getting involved!

    (I hope this makes sense no sleep for 24hrs is making me see double!)

    Reply
  24. Michael Specht Avatar
    Michael Specht

    Chris good post!

    Having been described as a social media expert today for the first time to a group of 100 HR managers it was quite an expectation to live up too.

    I have heard that to be an expert in a discipline you need to have worked at it for 10yrs, I just can't remember where I have heard it. So very few people could begin to claim expertise when put against that benchmark.

    110% agree social media is not a silver bullet and now amount of social media strategy will save your failing product/company etc. However as part of an overall strategy it might just take you from average success to great success.

    Also there is a massive lack of hard dollar ROI figures when you talk to most “experts”. Instead you get the whole “I got them X thousand followers” blah blah blah! As you said show me the money! To do this you need a clear business objective as to why you are getting involved!

    (I hope this makes sense no sleep for 24hrs is making me see double!)

    Reply
  25. larrylawfer Avatar
    larrylawfer

    Another excellent and well crafted post, Chris. Thank you. As I watch the churning of these social media experts touting it as the solution I wonder if they even know the question. To me the question is what do you want to do, then how can you best do it. By jumping into social media and growing an audience does not mean that audience is following, it certainly doesn't mean your voice, however delivered, is persuading anyone. It all comes down to knowing what you are trying to do it and then using the right tools for the job. It is not about the tools of social media, ever. It just isn't.

    Reply
  26. larrylawfer Avatar
    larrylawfer

    Another excellent and well crafted post, Chris. Thank you. As I watch the churning of these social media experts touting it as the solution I wonder if they even know the question. To me the question is what do you want to do, then how can you best do it. By jumping into social media and growing an audience does not mean that audience is following, it certainly doesn't mean your voice, however delivered, is persuading anyone. It all comes down to knowing what you are trying to do it and then using the right tools for the job. It is not about the tools of social media, ever. It just isn't.

    Reply
  27. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Many people buy into the crappy downline secrets and internet network marketing lead generation tactics of IM gurus and not much attention is paid to the quality of the product that is being sold. You must be able to identify the needs and frustrations that your potential clients face. Then you should develop an attractive and personal business identity. This is the concept behind attraction marketing, a new internet network marketing lead generation technique where you develop ongoing relationships with clients and become a person of value by educating your buyers first and then moving them along the buying path in your communications. The combination of internet network marketing and social media, if done right, is a perfect attraction marketing strategy to establish your presence in a number of different places on the Web and reach potential customers anywhere in the world. Traditional marketing will never be able to target as precisely as social media marketing. Just imagine the social media profits you can have in being able to recruit people from different places.

    Reply
  28. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Many people buy into the crappy downline secrets and internet network marketing lead generation tactics of IM gurus and not much attention is paid to the quality of the product that is being sold. You must be able to identify the needs and frustrations that your potential clients face. Then you should develop an attractive and personal business identity. This is the concept behind attraction marketing, a new internet network marketing lead generation technique where you develop ongoing relationships with clients and become a person of value by educating your buyers first and then moving them along the buying path in your communications. The combination of internet network marketing and social media, if done right, is a perfect attraction marketing strategy to establish your presence in a number of different places on the Web and reach potential customers anywhere in the world. Traditional marketing will never be able to target as precisely as social media marketing. Just imagine the social media profits you can have in being able to recruit people from different places.

    Reply
  29. Social Media Power Avatar
    Social Media Power

    The thing is with a lot of social media, seo or other internet marketers is they are so wrapped up in their clients work that their own website efforts suffer. So if you consider yourself a social media expert it's not that you should be able to ping your own network but it's the power of your clients networks as a result of the work/consulting you did for them.

    Reply
  30. Social Media Power Avatar
    Social Media Power

    The thing is with a lot of social media, seo or other internet marketers is they are so wrapped up in their clients work that their own website efforts suffer. So if you consider yourself a social media expert it's not that you should be able to ping your own network but it's the power of your clients networks as a result of the work/consulting you did for them.

    Reply

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