Don’t Be a Tool

By
Colin
– 05/24/2010Posted in: Featured, internet marketing, Social Media, Tools

Do you read The Oatmeal?

Recently, the often humerous website featured a new comic called, 8 Websites You Need to Stop Building.

Number five on the list was social media websites.  I mean c’mon, who really needs another site to keep up with their friends, right?

But at this point the the comic  struck a bit of a nerve.   In the strip, the author creates a staged conversation between a “social media expert” and an average Joe.

Social Media Expert:
Hey, welcome to my social media blog! This is where I’ll talk about wishy-washy concepts like community building and participating in the conversation.

In order to be an expert at social media, first you need to write “social media expert” in your bio on twitter. After that you need to tweet a lot and update a facebook fan page. It’s really complicated stuff. You should buy my ebook.

Average Joe:
I don’t get it. How do you “do” social media?

Social Media Expert:
Well it’s all about the ROI of course! I engage with the community to monetize my social presence.

Average Joe:
Oh I see, so you’re a talentless D-bag! You’re like a webmaster from the 1990s, except you can’t even code HTML.

Social Media Expert:
Exactamundo, my friend!

Read the full comic.

Humor aside (it is funny), I think it’s important to note where many people are with their social media exploits.

As an industry, I think we’re seeing two classes emerge.  The professionals and the experts.

The experts are those who have associated themselves with a set of tools. They’re the Twitter person, or the LinkedIn person, or the Facebook guy. They might help you get the most out of your Twitter presence, but they won’t take you very far beyond that.

The Experts are quick to tell you how much more they know about social media and are the ones putting “social media expert” in their Twitter profiles.  Eventually, however, they’ll become commoditized and outdated.

The Professionals have moved beyond the tools. They already know what the tools are and what they’re best at. They’re more focused on the strategy and how social media fits into the greater Internet marketing puzzle then how to maximize followers on Twitter.

Because social media (and Internet marketing) is changing on a daily basis, it seems foolish to focus so much on the tools.  I say, don’t be a tool.  Learn them, understand how they work and what they can help you accomplish.  But focus on the strategy.  A hammer won’t build a house, but a hammer, saw, and some nails might get you there.

Photo Credit

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About Colin

Colin Alsheimer is an Account Supervisor for Weber Shandwick and the VP of Promotions for the Social Media Club of Dallas, among other things.