Steaks, Fakes and Carpetbaggers: 4 Tips for Selecting a Social Media Consultant

August 27, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment

Lately we’re seeing an upsurge in the amount of social media consultants and service providers. You’ve probably run into a few of them online…heck, you may have even bumped into one while waiting in line at Starbuck’s. They love working remotely, and we all know that the demands of being a social media doyenne can result in serious a caffeine deficiency (a concept I can certainly identify with).

Recently I’ve even come across a few social media certification programs offering to make you a social media expert in fairly short order. Just who is doing the certifying, you ask? That answer varies a bit; but, bear in mind that there is no formal body that can stand in front of you and anoint you a social media Jedi (although that would be awfully cool if they could. Put me down for a pink lightsaber, please).

Social media is still evolving, and there are quite a few skeptics out there. Many corporations remain dubious of the benefits of social media, despite a wealth of examples that prove its relevance. Legitimate service providers, in addition to providing social media consulting services to their clients, also face an increasingly uphill battle when they find themselves lumped in with wand-waving social media sorcerers.

When Seth Godin famously proclaimed, “everyone’s an expert,” somehow I don’t think that was what he had in mind.

There are many wonderful, qualified service providers out there, and they are worth every penny that they are charging. So the question remains, how do you separate the genuine article from the so-called?

Unfortunately, by the time you’ve realized what you thought was a Gucci® handbag is really one that reads “Cucci,” that smooth-talking salesman has already packed up his kiosk and moved on.

Spotting the Fakes

Just this week I was speaking with a new client that has been ruthlessly pillaged by various and sundry marketing folks. Truly, it isn’t his fault. To those who are not all that familiar with social media, being able to spot the posers can be as difficult as spotting a quality knockoff handbag. It may look the same — but looks can be deceiving. And, unfortunately, by the time you’ve realized what you thought was a Gucci® handbag is really one that reads “Cucci,” that smooth-talking salesman has already packed up his kiosk and moved on.

To review, a snazzy title does not an expert make.

Beware the Carpetbaggers

After the Civil War, Northerners that came to the South were often referred to as carpetbaggers. Some came to do good, but most of them came to take advantage of the post-war aftermath. They came up with crooked and questionable ways to profit and place themselves in positions of power. Social media carpetbaggers prey on unsuspecting folks who are looking for help in boosting their social media profile. Instead of helping them, these hucksters toss around a few industry buzzwords, promise the moon, take the check and run.

A real social media powerhouse will be able to cite specific results they’ve achieved for clients, as well as how they measure said results. Demand more than sparkling vocabulary. Ask for details — plans, metrics and references.

Is it Social Media Sizzle or Steak?

America’s most infamous salesman, Elmer Wheeler often spoke of “selling the sizzle, not the steak.” Selling the sizzle is great advice — so long as there is an actual steak to be served after the sale.

If your guru is singularly focused on posting on his own wall, or retweeting and sharing his own posts, how the heck is he going to get any work done for you?

It’s simple – he won’t.

The true social media pro participates in conversations on Twitter, has great comments and dialog on his blog, and shows a genuine interest in forging relationships with his followers.

The Bottom Line — Conduct Due Diligence

A bit of research goes a long way toward avoiding a problem. Before you hand over your hard-earned cash, take some time to check out the service provider. I have come across a number of professional social media experts over the years. These folks don’t need gimmicks, props or sleight of hand to garner clients, and they certainly don’t use them to produce results.

And by the way, for those who may be wondering what qualifies me to share these insights — the answer is simple. I’m a Diva, of course.

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Filed under SOCIAL MEDIA · Tagged with SOCIAL MEDIA, social media consultants, social media fakes, social media gurus

Social Savvy: Avoiding Costly Mistakes

July 13, 2010 by admin · 2 Comments

This morning I was reading a great article at PCWorld that detailed the growing use of social media management tools in large corporations in order to monitor their brands and their customers. While many of you reading this are probably saying to yourself, “it’s about time!” still others may be questioning it’s relevance in an overall marketing strategy.

Ignoring social media can present far greater costs than learning to use it wisely.

Many small businesses simply shrug this off as being too much of a hassle, or too expensive to implement. The truth is, they’re wrong on both counts. While there are a number of third-party solutions that cost some serious coin, there are a handful of free and low-cost alternatives that are available. You just need to know where to look.

Spredfast – (From their website) Spredfast offers secure and scalable social media solution that streamlines the social media listening, communicating, and measuring processes. Their free plan offers analytics, up to 5 social streams, as well as charts and reporting.

HowSociable – is a search tool that enables users to track brand mentions across the social web.

BackType – enables you to track your monthly engagement for free. Offers graphs of the summary, audience, and a list of the conversations/retweets. You can also get a Twitter Reach Report for a one-time fee of $20.

BlogPulse – searches the blogosphere for mentions of your URL , keyword or topic. An excellent tool for use in tracking competition, niche news, etc.

TweetBeep – Works like Google Alerts and enables you to keep track of conversations that mention you, your products, your company, anything, with hourly updates. Offers a premium version for $20/month.

Sendible – enables you to engage with your audience across multiple formats with ease. Analytic tools track the success of email and marketing campaigns, and they also offer a tool to track brand mentions. They offer an ad-supported version, as well as several affordable monthly and pay-as-you-go plans.

Twitalyzer 2.0 – one of the web’s most popular tools for tracking Twitter influence and reach. There is a free version, as well as several paid options.

TweetStats – tracks your tweets per hour, tweets per month, and replies. Free to use.

This is just a small sampling of what is available — there are many excellent SaaS options for those who are interested in more extensive reporting tools.

Why Should You Be Interested in Reputation Management?

The short answer is you can’t afford not to be. Social media allows consumers to provide immediate feedback on brands and products, as well as customer service issues and complaints. You have precious little time to get out in front of any negative mentions, and respond. I’ve previously mentioned that Comcast® is a model that others could do well to follow — their Senior Director of National Customer Service Frank Eliason (@comcastcares on Twitter) is perhaps the most well-known customer service representative in the country.

A Bitter Pill to Swallow

Social media can also be used as a valuable market research tool — and can prevent unnecessary missteps.

In November of 2008, the makers of Motrin pain reliever were given a bitter pill to swallow after launching what they thought would be a very successful online ad campaign.

The ad, which initially began its run over a weekend in September, stated that while toting a baby around in a sling can cause back and neck pain, it “seems to be in fashion” and “totally makes [me] look like an official mom.” Outraged mothers took to the Twitterverse to share their comments, popularly noted with the use of the #MotrinMoms hashtag. By the following Monday morning, the ad was gone, and an official apology was issued by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

Had McNeil conducted an online market research study to test that campaign among their target audience (in this case, mothers), they could have leveraged the immediate feedback afforded by social media, and avoided a very pricey and embarrassing mistake. It’s one you can bet they won’t make again.

Social media should be a vital part of any marketing strategy — be it on or offline. When employed properly, the results can be significant — and that’s a fact you can take to the bank.