Will Social Media Experts take over the World?

I once read back in 2007 that since the rate of Elvis impersonators in the World was increasing at such a fast rate, by 2019 a third of everyone on the planet would be one.

However, I now fear that the Social Media Guru Disease is getting out of control. Now rather than the prediction that the population will be filled with an excess of flared sequinned jumpsuit-wearing singers, we could end up with more than our fair share of inexperienced 'Social Media Ninjas' and self-trained 'Social Media experts' setting up training courses in "creating a Facebook page" and running webinars in "how to engage customers using Twitter".

Well... too late, we already have too many of these!

Hayden has now left the building.

Do you have Social Media Guru Disease?

I fear that a new highly virulent strain has gripped the modern world. One that seems to be so infectious it is spreading life wildfire and afflicting nearly everyone it comes into contact with.

What are the symptoms?

1. A delusional state of mind 
2. The constant mentioning of abilities and expertise that the person clearly doesn't have
3. The impersonation of professionals they have occasionally met or seen
4. Constant requests for you to like them or follow them

In case you haven't some into contact with these poor people yet... These symptoms are also accompanied by other physical manifestations, such as the sudden appearance of websites and marketing material claiming to "learn the basics" or "grow your business with Social Media". These messages, like a form of digital graffiti, are now posted all over Linkedin and Facebook... it's almost as if those who are worst affected are using the very channels that fuel their delusions as cries for help.

Yes, Social Media Guru Disease is here people and could be affecting those around you at this very moment.

• Does your partner keep setting up different Twitter accounts for no reason?
• Has your son started drawing large letters (particularly the letter 'F' in blue) on every vertical surface?
• Have you the secret worry that 'Instagram' may not be the covert word for your colleague's drug habit?
• Has an old school friend sent you over 15 request to 'like' their flower arranging business in the last week?

I noticed this disease appear a couple of years back and hoped it wouldn't get out of control. But alas, it seems it might be too late.... I hope not! 

No you are not an expert!

It seems like every is a bloody expert these days. From self-styled Digital Marketing gurus through to Social Media ninjas (please, enough with the fantasy role playing... you should have got that out of your system playing Dungeons and Dragons in your youth), it feels like everyone wants to be known as an expert in their field.

It's actually not that hard to look like an expert these day. Just like nobody knows if you're a dog on the Internet.... it is relatively easy to create the pretense of a fair amount of knowledge, so that anyone quickly looking at your online activity will think your an expert.

Don't believe me? Take a look at a range of colleagues and ex-colleagues on Linkedin. Check out how many are now using the new 'skills' functionality to label their expertise. Now look at how many are over-stating what they are capable of and therefore how little they are getting their fantasies validated by their peers.

So next time someone says they are an expert in a specific subject, just look at how many people have confirmed this in their Linkedin profile.

Note:
So far, in my Linkedin profile I have given myself the following skills, which have yet to be validated by any of my contacts: Online User Experience, Internet Strategy, Project Management, ecommerce seo, Technology, Programme Delivery, Web Analytics, Web Content Management, Online Marketing, SEO, Web Solutions, E-commerce Solutions, Multi-Channel Commerce, Digital Communication, Conversion Optimization, Web Strategy.
Does anyone fancy confirming these for me please? :-)

Watch out, watch out, the Social Media Gurus are about

My post last week on how anyone can be a Social Media Expert got a fair amount of attention (it was one of my most visited blog articles so far). However, I realised after writing it, that I had missed out the other title that these self-promoting social media individuals give themselves.... gurus.

Yes, you only have to sit in a few industry seminars or supplier presentations to know the Social Media Guru’s are in town, and they are here to sell you their wonderful wares and services. They all seem to have appeared overnight, to not only tell us about ‘best practice’ and ‘industry leading examples’, but also to publicly state that they have “been into social media for years” and “have always worked in social media”.

They cite examples such as:

1. Creating forums on websites
   (didn’t we already have newsgroups and bulletin boards back in the 90’s? I guess these were a little too nerdy for these ‘guru’ types)
2. Building websites for years that have linked to social media
   (putting a hyperlink from your linkedin.com profile to your MySpace account in 2005 doesn’t make you an expert!)
3. Working in ‘engaging’ media
   (but being a runner for a shopping channel five years ago isn’t exactly a great expertise needed to run a blogger outreach programme now is it?)

Perhaps there needs to be a qualification for these people to pass. At the very least there needs to be list of things to check before you even consider the services of these people…..

Now anyone can be a Social Media Expert

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that yesterday I had a bit of a rant about an email for the upcoming Internet World Expo:
http://twitter.com/#!/haydens30/status/55941006662713345
http://twitter.com/#!/haydens30/status/55941454043947008
The email is here and it has the amazing claim:

Social Media tuition from Facebook and LinkedIn... Become an expert in just 1 day

Now last year you may have read my post where I mentioned that I saw the potential for a new Internet bubble to arise.

Back nine months ago you suddenly had the appearance of a number of agencies and individuals all claiming to provide Social Media services (usually after they’d all read the same case studies, etc.). Yet back then there was little client demand and it was clear the market stood a good chance of imploding upon itself.
Well, three quarters of a year later the dynamics of the market are now very different.
What’s changed? Well…

1. Clients now have a demand for Social Media (and money to spend)
2. The Social Media Agency market has matured (a little)
3. Traditional agencies have moved to adopt Social

However, the success and popularity of Social Media as a discipline now comes with another problem…. The appearance of the Social Media Expert and the desire for everyone to become one overnight.

And quite frankly, Internet World Expo haven't helped the matter!