The definition of a social media expert

You see the title everywhere, in job postings, resumes, in news stories, and online.

“We are looking for a social media expert who can [INSERT JOB DESCRIPTION]”… “We interviewed social media expert [NAME]”…. “I am a social media expert who can [INSERT RESUME SUMMARY]”

But how does one earn this title?  Did they pass a test?  The qualifications of a “social media expert” are seemingly subjective depending on who you ask.

I personally believe “social media expert” is an overused phrase because it is difficult to master something that is changing and evolving every day.  A generally accepted rule in the academic community is that it takes 10,000 hours (just under five years) to become an expert on any topic.  This concept was developed by psychologist Anders Ericsson and popularized by Malcom Gladwell in his book Outliers.  Using this logic, there are very few true social media experts out there because it simply has not been around long enough.

In my opinion, being a social media expert is much more than having oodles of Twitter followers, Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, and an active blog that regularly engages users.  I might call these people “social media popular.”

It’s more than knowing how to use Foursquare, Pinterest, Digg, Flickr, YouTube, and the dozens of other less mainstream sites.  I would call these people “social media active.”

To be a social media expert, one must have a comprehensive academic understanding of the field and how it influences society.  Below are some of the qualifications a social media expert must possess.

• Someone who can look at social media from the big picture, explain its uses, and what it means for society.
• Someone who can outline the evolution of social media – from AOL Instant Messenger to MySpace to Facebook to Pinterest.
• Someone who can spot trends and project which ones will be sustainable and which ones will likely lose popularity over time.
• Someone who can articulate how businesses and organizations can benefit by using social media strategically.
• Someone who has experience creating strategic social media plans using proven methods.
• Someone who knows the best ways to track, measure and analyze the effectiveness of their social media programs.

If you have questions about using social media strategically, contact us.