Experts and Gurus Aren’t Necessarily the Best Social Media Teachers
Posted by Liz Strauss · 4 Comments
The People to People Connection
Social media attracts literate, intelligent, curious people — people who like to explore new ideas. Though some brand themselves as experts or gurus. In a industry barely defined, we’re all Social Media Explorers still learning the whys, hows, and ROIs. Folks new to the territory might find that the traits of the most qualified teachers aren’t what they would be in an older, more concrete type of enterprise.
Here’s what to look for in a social media teacher or guide.
- Count Internet years. 3 years experience is entry level in the concrete world. It can be extensive experience within Internet time.
- Check for depth. A deep understanding will show itself in the ways a person can describe the culture of the Internet, how it shifts, and how the values of social media worth within and against the values of ecommerce. Look for understanding how how social media as a piece of a comprehensive marketing / customer plan.
- Check for skill set. Even though the teacher may not be the person who’ll be executing the plan, he or she should be well versed in using the tools.
- Check the breadth, particularly the individual’s networks. Social media is business based in influence, relationships, and connections. Discuss how the networks match up to your business and its goals.
- Get the facts. Ask for cases and social media initiatives this person actively led.
The field, the metrics, and the best practices are still forming. Some folks have worked with the tools, but never applied them in actual P&L situations. Some have studied the theory. Some have built a narrow niche of expertise. While others understand how to move people all over the web, but can’t articulate it yet.
Many great minds and great practitioners are available to help. Know your goals and listen actively, the best match won’t be hard to find.
Let me know if I can help.
Liz Strauss
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Liz Strauss
Hmm. I wonder if folks who are playing around w/social media apps and sites might be better gauges in these areas?
I try an app, test things out and then track my efforts/results that way
Agree with you, Liz, there is still a lot to come. Reviewing the role of the teacher and the expectations we hold as to teaching/learning also echoes what Howard Rheingold said, i.e. that the traditional teaching model is inadequate for online social networks and this is largely due to a shift in the producer/consumer dichotomy.
Good teaching skills are still key to successful learning but they now need to centre much more on knowledge sharing and the ability to allow the student to discover which implies that a good share of the teaching work needs to focus on preparing learners to see the world from a rather new angle. Knowledge production and consumption is becoming so very much of a hybrid that teachers will also need to put more emphasis on ethics, plagiarism and the role of responsible sharing. While this might be easier among the Generation Digital Native – many of those in the corporate world, especially in Europe – seem to be unwilling to step out of their comfort zone and let go of power in order to re-gain it.
http://britbohlinger.wordpress.com
Liz, I soooo agree with this post. I agree one million times over!
I’ve sent you an email about my frustrating 2 weeks spent setting up a new blog. I’ve spent days trawling thru 100s of tutorials by experts who don’t understand what most bloggers want, and might as well be speaking Klingon.