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Saw a great cartoon today in The Oatmeal lampooning the world of social media and its self-proclaimed experts.  You can see it here. Pay close attention to #5. 

In fact, I’ve seen a few cartoons lately which do a nice job capturing the three-ring world of social media “expertise.”  In another, an interviewer speaks to a “social media guru” and asks what makes him a “guru.”  His response:  “I re-tweet other gurus.”

Wow.  If you’ve ever been on Twitter, you’ll recognize this in a heartbeat.   

For some reason far beyond my comprehension, I have been introduced once or twice as a “social media expert.”  I very quickly explain that I am anything but an expert.  Nor am I a guru.  Nor a champion nor an evangelist.  Hell, I only have about 90 Twitter followers, although I do a fair amount of “re-tweeting.”  Certified “gurus” need to have thousands, I think. 

If anything, I’m a bit of a scavenger.  I use what others have learned to help my clients.  Or, maybe a social media handyman…I take it out of the toolbox when it fits.  But don’t call me an expert.  I’m more of a student than anything.

My point is not to launch a contest for my dozen loyal readers (“Describe Brian’s Social Media Expertise—Win an iPod Shuffle!).  Rather, I think I see why some executives are starting to shy away from social media altogether.

There are just too many out-of-work marketers parading as “experts.”  And it’s starting to discredit the enormous potential of social media and the good work that the Jay Baers and Chris Brogans of the world are doing, especially when it comes to applying it to the mortgage/title industry.  A busy executive takes a look at Facebook or Twitter, sees a lot of people blathering about “joining the conversation” (I, admittedly, do this too), but doesn’t see where his/her business benefits.  That’s where a good agency or consultant puts it into real terms, and practically applies the benefit to the business—if it fits. But too many of these self-proclaimed Jedi Masters make it about the medium, rather than the result.  And they throw around soft terminology to justify their perspective.  

Now, I’m all for self-branding, to a degree.  In this world, few have time to excavate talent.  And there are definitely real social media experts out there.   But, in my humble opinion, the public relations field seems to have a special talent for taking a nugget of authenticity, relevance or just a downright good idea…and pummeling it into oblivion.  I think back to a time when the rage in PR publications was connecting media relations to ROI.  In theory, a valid idea.   In reality, a good number of PR professionals dutifully plugged the term into their PowerPoints, only to stammer when asked what “ROI” even stands for.  We’ve done it before, and we’re doing it again.  And it makes my job harder with a client when I even mention the thought of using social media.  A lot harder.

If you look back at the cartoon referenced above, you see some great terminology.  “Monetizing social presence” is a personal favorite.   Maybe these folks should refer to themselves as Grand Executive Black Belt Social Media BS Generators…