Occasionally, I’ll receive an email from a reader who wants me to answer a quick question for them. I got one today and started to think, “Hey, why just send one person a reply email when all of my readers can benefit from my answer?”
Today, I got an email from a reader regarding social media, as well as so called “social media experts.”
Here’s a screenshot of the original message. The sender’s personally identifiable information is blacked out.
First of all, thanks for your interest in the site!
No offense to the sender, but this is a downright horrible question. What constitutes a “social media expert?” Sure, I’m knowledgeable, but I still have a lot to learn about social media. Is Leo Laporte a social media expert? Maybe. But then again, there are a lot of “nobodies” on social services with thousands of followers. Are they social media experts because they know how to use the services? Could be.
If you want the best answer I could possibly give you, here it is: Sign up. Yeah, it’s simple, but it’s true. If you want to become an expert at something, familiarize yourself with it. Sign up for the social media sites of your choice. Seriously, that’s the best advice I can offer.
There is no certificate that declares you a social media expert. If you want to be a social media expert, just call yourself one. That’s how everybody else does it.
Speaking of social media, you can follow me on Twitter: @_bradmerrill.
[Photo: SearchEngineJournal.com]
Please someone enlighten me why someone would want to become a social media expert. What is the perk for becoming one?
It's a title you can very easily assume that looks good on your website. Which sounds better? "Brad Merrill, Blogger" or "Brad Merrill, Blogger and Social Media Expert?"
A "social media expert" could potentially be anyone who uses social media services because of how simple they are becoming. Anyone who has been using Twitter for a while could call themselves a social media expert, and wouldn't necessarily be wrong. Honestly, I think it's a fruitless and hollow title.
I'm not really sure how you would answer that question either. You need to not only use the services you want to get good at, you have to live them. Every part of your life gets included.
Exactly.