2 things that don’t make a Social Media Guru

And 2 things that do.

#1 – Your Title

Is it just me?  No matter what particular title you use after your name, Social Media Guru or Social Media Ninja , or just the simple “Expert ” they all make me cringe.  The hairs literally go up on the back of my neck.  Was there a class I missed giving you that designation or did you live abroad for years studying Social Media with your fellow Shaolin monks eating only wafers while surfing the interwebs?

Social Media is so new, so rapidly changing, the best any of us could hope for would be to be called “Students”.  You might know more than the student next to you but the fact is, we’re all learning as we go along.  Get over yourself.

#2 – Your Friends and Followers

I got the spam you sent.  That email spouting that you can get me Page ONE of Google or remember that twitter direct message you sent touting that your “system” can get me 10,000 followers automatically.

I know it works, you’ve proved it and done so in a Magnum kind of way!  Good for you!  I’ll bet you were really popular back in school.

But the massive amount of followers you have, and the massive amount you are following, do not make you a Ninja.  Your lack of understanding what makes Social Media work gives you away.  Twitter and Facebook are not a popularity contest.  You’ve missed the point, you’ve failed, and now Master Robin wants his Ferrari back.  Zeus and Apollo…fetch!

Got the idea?  Understand where I’m coming from?  Cool!
Now here’s the two things that might make you a “Social Media SuperStar ”
(if that’s the dream you want to dream, so be it)

#1 Real People, Real Relationships

The real key to success isn’t the number of followers, it isn’t the number of false friends you have, it’s the relationships that you have.  They may start as a single tweet that turns into a conversation that turns into a phone call that turns into a face to face meeting (or not).  It’s the growth and building of the relationship, the strength of the relationship that counts.  The self proclaimed Gurus fail at understanding the human side of engagement.

#2 Education

Knowing, realizing, and accepting that you are a student as well as a teacher is key.  What you knew yesterday no longer applies to today.  Besides having a deep understanding of human interaction you need to know the technical stuff.    Staying on top of the rapidly changing landscape is hard work.  Constant testing and retesting is hard work.  New programs, new API’s emerge daily.  What works, what doesn’t, and how do you measure it?  There is no Autopilot for your Social Media Education.

That’s it.  There’s the path.  The low road to Social Media Marketing Failure and the high road to Social Media Relationship Success .  The choice is yours.  Which way will you choose?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Searching for social media experts (directmarketingobservations.com)
• Getting Honest About Social Media Marketing (mt-soft.com.ar)

Welcome Back! - You've been missed! : )
Like this post? 2 ways you can help spread the word...
Sign in using Facebook and leave a comment
        Instant Comment Approval too!
Leave a comment and "Tweet this post"
Need a Custom Facebook Business (fan) Page? go here: AreWeConnected.com/facebook
Comment Policy | Privacy Policy or at least just   Skip Something!

Tagged as: Application programming interface, Facebook, Google, On the Web, Social Media, Social media marketing, Social network, Twitter