Social Media Expert vs. Social Media Scientist
What’s a difference between an expert and a scientist?
There is a big hub bub in the business community about social media consultants and practitioners referring to themselves as experts, without having a portfolio of measurable results. Some of the biggest authors in the field are being questioned about their so-called expertise. A recent article in BusinessWeek stated:
The debates over buzz are leading to confrontations among consultants. In late October, Marc USA’s Kmiec, a little-known figure in the industry, launched a blog attack against Chris Brogan, one of the towering chieftains of social media. President of consultancy New Marketing Labs, Brogan is an object of considerable envy: He boasts 110,379 followers on Twitter, has co-authored a new social media best-seller, Trust Agents, and commands top dollar on the speaking circuit.
Kmiec wrote of Brogan: “He speaks well. He presents well. Does that make him talented? Yes. Does it make him smart? Yes. Does it make him an expert? No.” Kmiec asked Brogan for client case studies and metrics to prove his social media success. Responding on Kmiec’s blog, Brogan dismissed the questions about his clients and social media metrics: “Is it an exacting marketing science? Not at all. Partly because it’s so damned new that we’re inventing the case studies while we’re experimenting with what comes out of it. Are companies asking for more and more experiences with me to see if it’ll work for them? Hell, yes.”
I feel like Chris’s last sentence is spot on. Social media is just a giant science experiment, though consultants love to talk about “joining the conversation”, “being transparent”, “breaking down silos”, and “engaging customers”. We are still trying to understand what’s the best way to do that….and at the end of the day…what has the highest return on investment? This is a sentiment I have had for a very long time.
Sure there are people who understand the experiment, in which case, they own an expertise in that. But anyone preaching an exact marketing science are lacking the evidence to back up those claims.
The BusinessWeek article seemed to have a tone that was accusing social media practitioners of being scared of measurements, as if measurements meant the hype bubble would pop. Yes, there is a lot of hype related to social media, esp. platforms like Twitter, but I’ve seen first hand the monetary and brand return on investment.
In reality, I may be only speaking for myself, but the best part of Social Media IS the experiment and case study building process. The work leading up to finding that formula that works is as exciting as finding it!
