I spent a happy hour following a discussion on one of my Linkedin groups: 5 Criteria For Qualifying Social Media Consultants. “They need to have at least three years’ experience,” opined someone confidently, “although I have ten.” “Oh no you don’t!” replied another, “it hasn‘t been around that long.” “Oh yes it has.” (Well, it is the pantomime season soon.) Another just went into a sales spiel and provided a (seemingly) auto-generated response which contained the term ROI several times over while a third ventured that “Perhaps someone should offer a certification programme - It could be profitable,” he added helpfully.
The interesting stuff generally comes when you scroll down these discussions. The people who really have something to say prefer dipping a toe in the water first. Several pages down someone ‘fesses up: “Many PR companies are using junior staff to handle this work because the technology terrifies them.”
It had been left to someone else to inject some sense into the argument. “I think a SM consultant who knows "old" marketing would be high on the list. As SM is just a tool, it helps to have a good knowledge of the basics. They may know how to use Twitter, but if your audience isn't there, who cares?” Nice one, Robin Horton.
So how do you qualify Social Media Consultants? Simple. Do they understand your business and its objectives? Does the activity they propose integrate into the comms plan? Have they taken the time to understand what’s happening ‘out there’ and who’s influential in your market place? Have they explained how they will take advantage of what’s already ‘out there’ or identified a niche that they can help your business to own? That would be a start.
The interesting stuff generally comes when you scroll down these discussions. The people who really have something to say prefer dipping a toe in the water first. Several pages down someone ‘fesses up: “Many PR companies are using junior staff to handle this work because the technology terrifies them.”
It had been left to someone else to inject some sense into the argument. “I think a SM consultant who knows "old" marketing would be high on the list. As SM is just a tool, it helps to have a good knowledge of the basics. They may know how to use Twitter, but if your audience isn't there, who cares?” Nice one, Robin Horton.
So how do you qualify Social Media Consultants? Simple. Do they understand your business and its objectives? Does the activity they propose integrate into the comms plan? Have they taken the time to understand what’s happening ‘out there’ and who’s influential in your market place? Have they explained how they will take advantage of what’s already ‘out there’ or identified a niche that they can help your business to own? That would be a start.
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