Are Social Media Consultants Harming Social Media?

The points you make are definitely on form Andy but at little…well definitely, cynical and the unfortunate thing is I cant blame you one little bit.

I consult on social media and it isn’t easy.

Its not easy because yes, many businesses don’t understand the net and it isn’t easy because many businesses are resistant to change or possibly are held by rules of compliance or regulation as well and many “consultants” wont even bother investigating this or ensuring due diligence on the business behalf, I could go on for hours.

But there are good people out there who get it and wont necessarily be destroying their own environment by helping business integrate but rather will be protecting that very same landscape… if they do it right of course :)

in reference to:

"Are Social Media Consultants Harming Social Media?"
- Andy Budd::Blogography: Are Social Media Consultants Harming Social Media? (view on Google Sidewiki)

The Complete Guide To Maximizing Retweets

I still think Bacon and Eggs (http://www.justinparks.com/bacon-eggs-guide-retweet-twitter/) have more of an effect on RTs, not stupid kittens.

By the way, I totally agree with you on this (obviously) and lucky for you I had Bacon and Eggs this morning. Retweeting (and I even took the time to comment, hows that for commitment!

in reference to:

"The Complete Guide To Maximizing Retweets”"
- The Complete Guide To Maximizing Retweets | seth simonds (view on Google Sidewiki)

Social Media Consultants are for Newbies, why would I need one?

Well Anna, you could consider one for the simple reason that a fresh set of eyes mgiht help you stop things that have been overlooked or just to brainstorm new applications and strategies from another perspective.

For example, I would mention that you might want ot consider adding some share this buttons on your blog posts in on blog.oxagile to allow that information to market itself a little more with very little effort or you could make some changes to add in some more "humanisation" to the site overall as it has a very corporate feel and this can in turn make it a little unapproachable.

Also you could consider adding twitter profiles for your staff on the country contact pages to open up opportunities for marketing and support requests in tandem.

You might disagree of course and have your reasons for not doing these but that's just an example of little points that can make a difference in Social Media.

in reference to: Why You (Might) Need a Social Media Consultant | 10e20 (view on Google Sidewiki)

5 thousand a month from my website

Well, its not the firs time I have heard this!

The first thing I say to them is, well, if its that easy, why would I stop what I’m doing, for a small one of fee, and do it for you when I can make 15k a month doing it for myself and not have to go through the ordeal of dealing with your quibbles, demands and fussiness?

There is an insane perception prevalent among the “masses” that web creation is “easy” and marketing a breeze. Damn if it was that easy, no one would have a website cause all the developers and marketers would be building their own sites and making the money on line and not building sites for clients as that would just increase the noise (and competition) out there…

Hang on, thats not such a bad idea actually :)

in reference to: 5 grand a month, every month & quickly please! (view on Google Sidewiki)

The Need for Social Media Consultants

Its nice to read a balanced view about this when so much moaning and groaning going on regarding social media as a practice.

The biggest issue that SMM has though are the unproven "gurus" who do fire up an account then talk the talk after an estimated 5 minutes of "getting" some aspect of social media and promising the sun and moon and the stars if you simply "Be real", its a little more than that and SEO is tainted with the same issue unfortunately.

Much like Danny Sullivan points out though and which many of the tech natives forget, is that huge swathes of businesses are NOT aware of technology, search engines and the intricacy's of web development and although Social Media has gone along way to removing the entry barriers to promotion and networking on line, it will not mean that anyone can simply walk in and "go their thing" as well as manage and maintain all the aspects of their off line business ( or even the on line one!).

Hence there is a requirement for those who can and do dedicate themselves to study and testing, creative thinking and application of Social Media Marketing and its own various incarnations, just like in every single industry on the planet, exactly like you said about personal trainers, and well said it was.

in reference to: Why You (Might) Need a Social Media Consultant | 10e20 (view on Google Sidewiki)

Social Media Gurus

Ahh the old social media guru question. Sure there are definitely a few out there who "get it" but the vast majority don't, but the fact remains, they will carve themselves a niche in the market no matter what we say or do.

I know this because its the same everywhere in everything from doctors who have no qualifications but who continue practising to gas men who have never took a health and safety test in their life, have no license but who continue to contract jobs, to bankers who's greed far exceeds the needs of the common good, every industry in life has this blemish on it so why should we expect any different. (Yes, even Marketers Jim!)

Lets take me and my own services as an for an example. I profess to be a social media consultant. I don't offer to make people millionaires overnight or have the answer to all their business woes if they just use twitter and I don't crawl around trying to oversell them on overpriced services or my latest regurgitated book, I simply aim to help them understand what this all means.

There is a demand for it and not everyone can be as social media savy as they would like to be because quite simply it takes time to "get it" but for me, each and every client is unique and so each each and every situation. If I believe that social media is not for them I will tell them so.

So what qualifies me to offer these services?

Well 10 years in the web design industry is probably a good start, so technically I have the knowledge to understand what all these new networks and mediums mean and also the intricacies of integration and adaptation to already existing on line campaigns and systems but outside the tech side I also managed all the clients and sales for the company so I met new people every single day, attended functions and networked my wee Irish socks off, and I loved it.

Then social media came along and for me, it was the best thing since sliced bread as it married my two great passions and skills - finally! I dived in with relish until I was happy that I understood as much as possible about as many things as possible and tested and tested and tested until I was happy that I had reach enough experience and understanding to begin offering social media as a service. Initially it wasn't my main thing either, it was a value added service on top of my web design clients and search engine optimisation. But demand increased and now I'm able to mange doing it almost exclusively.

Does it make me a guru? Hell no.

Theres still a lot I don't know and simply keeping up with the developments is proving to be a massive challenge.

I guess I can address your point now Jim and funnily enough I'm in agreement. I wonder who the hell these people are and where they pop out off, shouting about themselves and proclaiming to all and sundry that they are a "guru" of twitter or a "guru" of facebook or such and such (because they have 28000k followers they don't know), and would you like to buy my "beginners guide to twitter? It only 5 dollars!"

Frankly the whole thing annoys the hell outta me, but there's little I can do about it except hit the unfollow button and continue on my merry way, safe in the knowledge that the effort and commitment I put in and a strong reputation will see me right in the end...

...wont it? :)

in reference to: General bullcrap (view on Google Sidewiki)

SuperTweets - Twitters Advertising Aims and Google Results

This SuperTweet seems to be confusing people a little, including myself!

Just another point that I need to throw out there and consider...

With the development of social search on google now, how will these SuperTweets translate into the SERPs and subsequent results?

Will a tweet that is displayed via social search, and which contains said advert, still function in the same manner as originally intended in the result itself do you think? Will google be looking for a "cut" as well (or can they?)

lol, my brain hurts...

in reference to: Twitter to turn on advertising “you will love” (here’s how: SuperTweet) (view on Google Sidewiki)

@UnitedAirlines twitter profile and social media effort

Some solid and well thought out advice here Seth (as expected from your good self).

I think your correct, they do need to understand just what twitter and social media represent to both their brand and their consumers and potential clients just a little more comprehensively, but we have to give credit where credit is due, getting into this sphere is a very scary endeavour for businesses as it can open some potential PR nightmares and other related issues so actually doing it in the first place is a big step and Im sure they will eventually catch up (here is hoping for their sake).

Sticking to the point in case of your post, I think you have put more serious thought and effort into the brand than they have done themselves leaving me looking at it and thinking "this has been slapped together in 5 minutes, just to get the job done". Maybe they will consider some of your points seriously and even adopt, after all, they make sense.

I especially like the touch of the graphic you suggested that aims to show the message, the people and the aims in a simple concise manner making use of the background real estate in a much more effective manner and reinforcing the message that has been entered into the biographical description, although it also needs some shaking up as its the usual, corporate, generic, middle of the road jargon trying to offend no one and cover all the bases, consequently, it also interests no one in particluar and serves no real purpose due to the disjointed nature of the copy.

"United Airlines; Global Airlines; Star Alliance; Public Relations; official twitterer; Hubs in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington"

Something a bit more factual would serve them better in my option:

"Operating approximately 3,300 flights a day in 171 countries worldwide United Airlines are one of the longest established air travel providers in the USA and the world"

(Just an example segment I took directly from their About Us page: http://www.united.com/page/middlepage/0,6998,1276,00.html?jumpLink=%2Faboutunited)

One final point is, I have no idea why, in the name of all that's holy and sensible, they have not added their website URL in their twitter profile or even better, created a specific twitter landing page (eg: http://www.united.com/page/twitter-welcome/) which could expand upon the message and aims of the company and introduce the other representatives and their profiles in a much more detailed manner.

Looks like they could do with some help to be honest, I wonder if we should give them a call! :P

in reference to: The New @UnitedAirlines | seth simonds (view on Google Sidewiki)

Justin Mentioned in Jim Connollys "Thanks" Post

Jim, the mention means a lot to me. Rather than repeating Scott Gould's kind (and accurate) comment I will suffice to say "Cheers, and the next pints on me!" and am looking forward to your future posts!

Heartfelt Thanks Jim.

in reference to: Time to say thanks! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Paul makes the big leap

Big decision Paul and I think its the right one for you, your a smart guy, who is honest, reliable and dedicated so that is 90% of the battle already won.

As Im sure you already know (after numerous conversations we have had) it wont be an easy struggle but I'm sure someone like you will succeed and ultimately be rewarded.

As always, I'm only a call away! Speak to you soon Paul!

in reference to: Changes Ahead (view on Google Sidewiki)

What "Free" can cost a business

Hi Jim, Its an interesting (and on occasion desperate) situation, the cost of free and the “line in the sand” when it should become business.

As you have said in previous posts, making the call that “this is now billable time” can be difficult and will almost exclusively depend on the client and your ability to assess them and if they are serious or not.

Another angle to this is covered by these guys in a candid way and although it digresses a little it has some other angles to consider as well in the internet mindset of “Freeism”:
http://www.from-the-couch.com/post.cfm/title/1000-clients-or-1000000-fans

Also, this vid has been floating around for a while now and still makes me smile (its about half way down the post):
http://www.justinparks.com/clients-budgets-cost-a-website/

While I’m sure we all appreciate the amount of free stuff we can indeed get on the internet, it really isn’t viable, but the fact that its there makes the business of doing business so much more difficult because the mindset is “oh its free so your free as well” and for me, I get quite offended at this. I could never assume that anyones time is free and expect the same in return.

As you say “Your time is not money – it’s far, far more valuable than that.”

in reference to: What's FREE advice costing you? (view on Google Sidewiki)

social media buzz fades

I tend to agree with this Ben, though not in its entirety.

Sure the buzz will fade, but the medium will evolve, god only knows what new feature or app, combination off or spaghetti mash-up is just around the corner that takes the whole thing in another direction (if the level of development don't burn the whole house to the ground in the mean time) but I do agree that things will slow down and plateau somewhat, in fact I'm looking forward to it and here's hoping that this is where social media will come into its own...

But then I'm an idealist...

in reference to: Chicken Little Has a Lot of Followers | Straight Talk with Ben Kunz | seth simonds (view on Google Sidewiki)

Reflecting on twitters new RT functionality

Thats gonna make the importance of breaking news on twitter even more important, to be the first to hit that tweet...and may also cause some funny situations when that tweet turns out to be bollocks. (eg, the balloon boy incident).

Oh... interesting times ahead!

in reference to: Original Retweets on Twitter | Programmers Hotel (view on Google Sidewiki)

Cheers Josh Shear

Cheers for that Josh, much appreciated! Hope that helps you Sadeethya.

in reference to: Last.fm buttons, icons and badges for Social Media | Social Media Marketing Consultant (view on Google Sidewiki)

Developing social platforms

The biggest issue (remember Im in Spain) is the education and understanding of these small business in the tools and possibilities Chris.

At a rough guess, most businesses here would be 5 years behind the States so you can imagine the issues faced in even suggesting the idea, even though the people are using and developing there networks in social media there is a stop gap that needs to be addressed initially. The idea is of solid in theory though.

in reference to:

"What makes this different than email? Brevity, for one. For another, it’s a more flexible sharing option requiring less duplication of effort. For another, it serves many purposes in the public-facing channel mode, and helps speed up processes on the private in-business mode."
- Wiring Up Business- Two Channel Social (view on Google Sidewiki)

Twitter Lists, Project ReTweet and advertising

Sorry to break the “bald avatar” mold but I aint shaving my head :P

So good points Jim, I have been reflecting on these moves myself and the significance of driving more people onto the twitter home site instead of utilising the service via Tweetdeck or Seesmic and it makes sense for them to want more people hitting the home page.

I think it will be a long time yet before these apps are rendered useless however, they just offer much better usability in my book which the website hasn’t nailed yet.

As for the ad stuff, as we have discussed before, I hope to god they ditch that idea or at the very least offer a subscription service which removes all adverts from your stream. If it was 12 bucks a year, I would pay it without hesitation and many more would as well I think, and 12 x 44 million accounts is a nice healthy sum in anyones book.

in reference to: Twitter.com about to get stickier! (view on Google Sidewiki)