Snake Oil In Social Media

December 5, 2007 · Comments

Justin Kownacki Up Close Justin Kownacki, creator and producer of the hit web sitcom, Something to be Desired, friend, PodCamp Pittsburgh organizer, and many other things, had a great post questioning what qualifies one to be a social media expert. Rightly so, he questioned me and my application of the term “expert” to my experiences and understanding of the space. In this community, it’s important to question and be critical and keep our motives and our expression of these things clear and transparent. This led me to consider the label “expert” and to understand what it might mean to people seeking information in the social media space.

Expert or Advisor

Hours after reading that post by Justin, I was re-reading a part of David Maister’s STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER, an excellent book on how to get people to do the things they know they should be doing. David points out that labeling one’s self an “expert” is sending the signal that the expert is in control, that they are to be heeded above all else, and that the client needs the expert to complete the transaction.

Maister goes on to say that an Advisor, on the other hand, is someone in a relationship with the client, who wants to offer opinions based on their experience, but with an added level of give and take and conversation into the mix. An expert, in Maister’s parlance, was someone seeking a one night stand, where an advisor was someone looking for romance. ( I highly recommend STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER for anyone interested in leadership and/or service relationships, and will review the book in full shortly on this site).

I knew at once that I would change my branding on the sidebar of my website to say “advisor.” My reason is that I agree with Maister’s assessment. I believe my interest is in a relationship with an organization or an individual, where we talk about opinions and experience, and where I help with potential outcomes. I agree because I am an advisor to a few software companies and to The Conversation Group, a “new marketing” company that seeks to rework the strategy and tactics of marketing.

Social Media as a Buzzword

Every bit as overused as “web 2.0,” the term “social media” is bandied around all the time. I tend to use it to mean the aggregate of blogging, podcasting, videoblogging, photo sharing, participatory music, and the technologies that enable such experiences. The buzzword has slightly different meanings to different folks.

Some larger media companies make the term synonymous with “user generated content,” which they further view as amateurish, free, and in many ways a lesser product to “professionally generated content.” I don’t equate social media with “user generated content.” (Further, I don’t use the term “user generated content” much, as I find it often used as a derogatory term).

Is there a common ground to the term? I think it’s one of those areas where we’re still all feeling our way through the experience, and as such, be ready to question someone when they are discussing their knowledge of social media.

Metrics and Fairy Tales

One place where social media is still on shaky ground is in the application of metrics to various aspects of what we’re doing. Podcasters, marketers, PR types, and others struggle with this all the time. Sponsors, clients, and customers of all types want to understand what they’re buying.

Podcasters can’t accurately report numbers that have concrete meanings. Do we count downloads? Do we count hits on a web page? Do we accept and adjust for the caching of our media such that we can’t completely count or aggregate the impact of media we’ve made? Or do we find ways to make the action/response of the media felt? Christopher S. Penn doesn’t exactly care how many people listen to the Financial Aid Podcast. He cares how many people sign up for (and ultimately secure) a student loan, driven by his podcast. That’s the purpose of his show: to educate, inform, build a level of trust and leadership, but ultimately, to drive people to purchase a loan through his organization. More metrics like this are needed for podcasters and videobloggers.

Empirical data is often the coin of the realm in business conversations. People rightly feel that they want to understand the impact of their choices, the return on their investment. They feel comfortable that they understand how traditional marketing campaigns are measured. They believe they understand advertising purchases. So when shifting into social media and social networks, even as online spending revenue is going up, we are faced with having to talk about the uncertainties and unknowns of how we measure impact.

Be ready to probe when people offer you empirical measurements of results. There are ways to derive what Julien Smith and others have called “return on influence,” and there are means by which people are seeking to understand “cost per action” based pricing instead of the more traditional online model of “cost per click.” So be wary of what you hear in this space.

Who Are the Experts?

If we just press “pause” on the use of the word expert, but go into the question of who understands social media in a way that you should consider learning from their experience or seeking their advice and recommendations, there are a few things to look for in a good social media practitioner, and some things to discount.

  • We don’t know every social network that ever was built, or every podcast currently or formerly in production, but we’d better know more than a few.
  • Social media types probably should be making media of some kind themselves. (I often get criticized for not having a podcast. I counter by saying that I make media like AttentionUPGRADE and Small Boxes, and other projects.) And I blog every day and then some. So there!
  • We probably should have some length of experience under our belt, in some form or another. I’ve been blogging since 1998 or so, when it was called journaling. Im much more recent to podcasting and videoblogging (and I have Justin Kownacki and Steve Garfield to thank as two strong influencers and guiding lights in that space, not to mention folks like Daniel Steinberg and others, but don’t let me digress here).
  • We should be relatively somewhat “known.” I’m not suggesting that popularity in and of itself be an important trait, but I do believe that if you’re in SOCIAL media and not many people know you yet, you might want to socialize some more (this point is VERY open to your criticism, so please dig in, if you disagree).
  • We should be able to make something happen by way of the media we create, or in other words, our efforts should be at least somewhat impactful. I believe PodCamp has been impactful, and that other things I’ve done have made little differences here and there.
  • We shouldn’t be afraid of transparency, and definitely should welcome criticism and debate. If we’re always right, we’re probably not very open to ideas and new things. And at this point in the game, social media is heavily ensconced in understanding all kinds of new technologies and their application.

Beyond that, what would YOU say qualifies someone to be spouting off about social media? Why do you bother coming to my site? What is your bar for accepting someone an authority in this space? And do you need to learn ONLY from “an authority,” when plenty of people are experimenting and discovering advances every day?

Beware the snake oil experts in any new technology, and question authority. It’s worked as a good test since the 1960s. Why stop now?

The Social Media 100 is a project by Chris Brogan dedicated to writing 100 useful blog posts in a row about the tools, techniques, and strategies behind using social media for your business, your organization, or your own personal interests. Swing by [chrisbrogan.com] for more posts in the series, and if you have topic ideas, feel free to share them, as this is a group project, and your opinion matters.

Get the entire series by subscribing to this blog.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Tagged as: , , ,

ChrisBrogan.com runs on the Thesis Theme for WordPress

Thesis WordPress theme

Thesis is the search engine optimized WordPress theme of choice for serious online publishers. If you’re a blogger who doesn’t understand a lot of PHP, Thesis will give a ton of functionality without having to alter any code. For the advanced, Thesis has incredible customization possibilities via Thesis hooks.

With so many design options, you can use the template over and over and never have it look like the same site. The theme is robust and flexible enough not only to accommodate a site like ChrisBrogan.com, but also to enable the site to run far more efficiently than it ever has before.

  • I'm loathe to say I'm an "expert" at anything, because I can always think of someone who knows more or does it better. Saying I'm an expert feels like I'm inviting people to question my knowledge and credentials.

    I have been mentally calling myself a consultant, but I like "advisor" better. It sounds more like someone who helps and less like someone who rips off unsuspecting businesses.
  • Great post! I like the way you approached this topic. By the way, I would call you an expert in this field.

    It never bothers me when someone calls themselves an advisor, consultant, or any other number of titles that convey a knowledge and willingness to in a partnership or advisory role with another entity.

    On that same note, people that call themselves an expert, or worse for me, a guru, send up a bit of a warning flag. The reason is, to me, these are terms that should be used by others to describe someone, or to show respect. These words seem very pretentious when used by a person to describe themselves. At least to me.

    That of course does not mean that I avoid that person or that I do not build a relationship. It just means that I will usually spend a bit more time scrutinizing that person. But hey, that is me. Others may think the exact opposite, and it is that diversity of opinion that drives change and adaptation. That is a good thing.

    And while I am on the subject, another word that usually makes me bristle a bit is diva. I look at what that word has morphed into, denoting an aloof behavior, and I wonder why anyone would want to describe themselves that way. At one time the word was a term of respect, but now seems to denote brattiness and self absorption. Again, just my point of view though.
  • Chris, I appreciate your exploration of this distinction. Like Susanna, I can always think of people who might be more "expert" than I many areas.

    The sheer breadth of areas that one needs to know something about these days is expansive, so to characterize oneself as an expert can be a little misleading.

    On the other hand, once I'm engaged in a dialogue with folks who need help, I realize anew just how much I really do know, and how many ways I can help them. In that context "advisor" is probably the most productive term.
  • I got to change my job title recently and advocated for New Media Evangelist. The problem is, where do you go from there? New Media Disciple? Jesus? God? It gets kind of egotistical. So I'm a Digital Strategist, but "digital" is limiting and I like Advisor, too.

    What's so great (and challenging) in this industry is you can be an expert today, but if you unplug for a week vacation, you're instantly at least two weeks behind.
  • Interesting post Chris.

    Although I do see myself performing the function of an advisor, I am comfortable with being called an expert.

    And this is not because I feel no one knows more than me. I actually see an expert as being a teacher who may not know it all but 1) does know more than the student, and 2) is constantly learning more than the students regarding a certain topic. In my case, marketing.
  • Chris, in 'INFLUENCE: The Psychology of Persuasion', Robert Cialdini delves into the 'shortcuts' we use to survive in an exceedingly complex world. It would be silly (and impossible) to try and learn EVERYTHING on our own, uninfluenced by social behavior and experiences.

    In a classic case study, he shows how crowds in a busy city will blithely ignore the suffering of an injured derelict on a sidewalk - until the first person moves in to help, when a crowd soon gathers and follows.

    Just as the crowd needs that 'first mover', people need social proof for trying anything new - a 'pioneer' who gets the arrows in his chest (or not) to prove it's safe, or deflect the danger while the follower can slipstream past to safety.

    The 'expert' is the pioneer, the guide, the pathbreaker who shows it is safe, attractive and beneficial to try something new. The 'true' expert has paid the price to earn the glory of leading. The 'fake' - well, just fakes it!

    I guess I follow your lead in social media, and consider you an expert, for these reasons.

    All success
    Dr.Mani
  • Great post, Chris! I really enjoyed your analysis of the terms we use to "position" ourselves effectively. They may seem like small distinctions, but still important ones.

    I also really agree with your point that if you want to be taken seriously in the social media space, you need to be involved. Social media is nigh impossible to truly understand if you're detached from the community.
  • Jen
    It's nice that you changed what you call yourself. But, isn't it more important what you're called by others?

    I have a business associate offline that INSISTS on calling me a web guru. To everyone she meets. Do I create websites? Nope. Have I addressed this and asked her to be more specific? Yep. Has it worked. Nope.

    So as much as I'd love to be known as a New Media Advisor or Social Media Spotlighter, or Judy Garland...all that matters is what my customers say about me. And they're pretty stuck in their interpretations.

    Unless..you think that if you're in the social media space you don't do in person networking with clients and prospects? I know you travel a lot, but are you always hanging out with like-minded people or are there newbies who don't even know why they'd want to be on the Internet in the mix too?

    Are you preaching to the already converted?
  • Jack of all trades, master of none. People like this. I become a go-to guy but no one expects me to fix the un-fixable, just to conceptually help out. It is a good role.
  • I just consider myself a "power user" to some degree on various social networks/media, so to whatever extent I talk to less-experience people about how they could use such things, it's just as someone who's been exploring a bit of that jungle. What do they call the guide that leads safari tours? I wanna be that. I can take a neophyte into the jungle and show them around, but that's not to say we both might not get eaten by a tiger.
  • Well great Chris - par for the course, my response here to your blog post ran on rather long - so, I've decided to create my own blog post regarding this subject.

    I can say this for anyone reading - if you find that when you talk about things of interest to you - and you see people looking confused - you are probably an expert on that subject.
  • There's also a question of what the keywords are. Much as I like to consider myself an SEO consultant, more people are searching for SEO "experts." It's likely that the same thing is occurring in your niche too... So back to the initial question. Are you an expert or an advisor? ;)
  • I dislike Expert as much as everybody else, more for the fact that many people use it and clearly are not the ones.

    Advisor though has a ring to it "for somebody else" as in not necessary something I can get right away.

    In the battle of how to describe this thing what i am good at - which is being an advisor - I came up for my self with the terms analyst and most often specialist.

    This describes my expertise in a sense that leaves yet the room for discussion if or if not I am 'enough' of a specialist for you, but I am one.

    From there on it is much easier to follow through in communication with customers and possible customers. Because I do not claim I am an expert, I am not imposing the 'i am superior'.

    But I like the term advisor very much!
  • Kat
    I like the term expert.
    one definition is :
    a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field

    I think a skill you excel at is turning confusing ideas into something people can understand and put into use. It comes naturally to you, but that doesn't mean it's not a skill. You shouldn't dismiss it.

    i also think one night stands are a valid type of relationship
    they aren't dirty embarassing interactions unless you make them so.
    Plenty of companies and people want a onsie. how many people can you date at the same time? 2? maybe 3?
    That's pretty darn limiting.

    I think you are an expert in different ways.
    You seem afraid to take on the title though
    maybe in social media it's got a bad reputation?
    Or are folks just afraid of it?

    I dunno
    tossing the term "expert" to the side
    and dismissing one night stands
    is a loss to any community

    smarten up! *slap*
  • Kate Carruthers
    I'm getting the feeling everyone is taking the use of the term 'expert' a bit too seriously. You know some stuff and want to communicate about it. Some people know more stuff than you, others know less. Stuff happens, life goes on.

    Maybe it is time to upgrade to a guru? BTW, you know what 'they' call an expert? A has-been drip under pressure ;-)
  • Chris,

    Great, thought provoking post. So much so that I have rewritten this comment several times because I wanted to make a point about your statement regarding being "known".

    My initial reaction was that you grossly understated this point. Of course you need to be know. But then the idea of the breadth and depth of social media hit me. Is an expert on blogging an expert on "social media"? Blogging is, after all, a form of social media. So the answer I think could be yes.

    Overall, I think the most important point you make, and it seems to come through in the entire post, is: question everything.

    Expert, it would seem to me, is just too generic a term to mean much, especially on-line. It can mean whatever someone wants it to, and there will usually be someone who will buy whatever it is that they are selling.
  • couple of thoughts here.

    first, Chris Steiner's comment on bloggers reminded me of the idea that bloggers that are prolific posters seem to be labeled social media experts more often than others ( like myself ) who may not be great writers, but still are very active in social media.

    i'm not a prolific or stupendous blogger, i write short bursts, but does that make me less of an expert? my bursts: www.ericrochow.com

    and on the term expert, i think its fine. people can tell soon enough if you really know what you're talking about; whether you really are an expert or you just call yourself that.

    and on being an expert in social media, those of us in this fishbowl are experts in different ways. i have learned a ton from producing Gardenfork.tv and RealWorldGreen.com, mainly from the interactions i have with viewers. Now that i started the Greenhouse, http://thegreenhouse.gardenfork.tv , i'm learning even more.

    This is a much different experience from someone who is a text blogger. I'm managing an interactive community, not just writing posts and linking to other blogs.

    What I tire of are self annoited 'experts' who write/talk about social media but aren't in the thick of it. They talk about it, but they don't make it. Doing it makes a better expert than just reading about other people doing it.

    Chris, you are, to me, a social media expert. You twitter, blog, utterz, podcamp, attention upgrade, etc. etc. What more do people want before one can attain the expert level ?
  • I agree with Kat. Leave the term Expert on your site.

    You are an expert dang it! Don't defend it - just let it be and move on. Not sure I'm willing to slap you though.

    Think of it this way... An expert knows what questions to ask and where to go to find the answers. A lot of people really don't have this skill.

    Joel Mark Witt
blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous post: Above All Else- People

Next post: Participation- The Key to Social Media