Honey Scroll's Blog Professional match-making for businesses

Social Media Experts

During the past few years, I have watched companies excitedly hire social media consultants that proclaim to be experts.  These clients come to me with bright eyes and smiles, so happy to finally have started adding social media to their marketing and communications efforts.

Then I ask them the name of their agency or consultant, and my heart drops. They've hired one of the "Me Too" organizations, someone who just got on the bandwagon, or a group that attempts to learn while doing at the expense of the client.

It's an unfortunate thing that often happens when clients shop for marketing, communications and creative services.  I am not calling these clients inept or incapable of hiring their own agency.  I merely feel they need more information before going shopping, or someone that has their best interest in mind and can guide them through the process.

Is there a Consumer Reports for hiring marketing, communications and creative services?  If so, I would love to learn about it.  Who is the watch dog for clients, educating them about making better decisions?  Does such a thing exist?

During my time learning about social media (it is still a changing game, and there is something new to learn each day), I found that those who knew the most about it never referred to themselves as experts.  They prefer words like "guru" or "maven" because expert infers that one knows almost all there is to know about the subject matter.  As previously mentioned, social media is a game that changes daily.  We're all still learning about how to use it and make it work well in business.

So, dear clients, when shopping for social media support please be careful.  There are people out there who will use your ignorance to their advantage.  Do your homework before you sign on with a new partner.  Better yet, call me and I will recommend you to some of the nation's smartest and most talented social media strategists who can also help you execute plans.  We are lucky to have some of the most intelligent and passionate social media evangelists right here in the Triangle.

Honey Scroll is hosting a workshop on social media (101 and tools to help you manage it faster) on February 24th at Edge Office in Raleigh, N.C.  Bring your questions, note taking device of choice, and open mind.  We'll talk about social media, how it applies to business, and how Honey Scroll can help you find the right talent for your needs.  Register today: http://honeyscrollfeb.eventbrite.com/.