Social Media experts, professionals, marketers, managers, gurus, clubs and networks are emerging as fast as the status updates they publish.  But since this “form” connectivity is still so new and still growing, I am a little bit hesitant when I see, hear, or read that someone is a “Social Media Professional.”  I am not saying that there are no Social Media experts or professionals that make a living with these new tools and networking capabilities, but having a Twitter account and a Facebook page and calling yourself a Social Media Professional is comparable to calling a guy with a truck and a few tools a General Contractor.

So my question is…

What makes a Social Media Professional a professional?

Let me clarify one thing.  I am not asking this question of those of us engaged in Social Media in one form or another to connect or promote a small business.  I am also not asking those of you that may may be “in the know” about all things Social that may teach others the “How-To’s” of Social Media.  (That’s a completely different discussion.)

My question is directed at those people that are gainfully employed by an organization or business and tasked with achieving some sort of metrics regarding the use of Social Media.  My question is directed at those of you that direct a team of people or work with others within an organization to promote said organization, team, or business through the use of Social Media.

By what metrics do you use to evaluate the effectiveness of your Social Media campaign?

What tools in the Social Media toolbox do you use to reach these pre-defined metrics, and why do you use the tools you have chosen?

Is your Social Media strategy based on public relations, marketing efforts, business development, or some combination of these?

When contemplating business strategies, I often default to my background…Construction and Project Management.  In this line of work I find it of utmost importance to provide an answer to the following question:

What are the clear and definable goals of this project or task?

If I cannot answer this question for my clients and if I cannot develop a system to achieve those goals, then I am stealing my clients’ money.

So as an employed Social Media Professional, does your team operate with clear and definable goals?

The idea for this post came from a tweet I read from a friend of mine:

@gavinbaker (Socia Media Manager for a large restaurant chain) tweeted “…wonders why social media is always synonymous with twitter, when there is a lot more out there”

This got me thinking.  Is Social Media PR, marketing, business development, networking, SEO or something else?  It seems to me that Social Media is some combination of all these and more, but many  so-called “Social Media Professionals” I follow seem to rest on the altar of Twitter and Facebook with little or no deeper strategy of engagement or business development in mind.

The question…”What makes a Social Media Professional a Professional is like asking the question:

“What makes something ART?”

I don’t know, but if I can do it, it ain’t art.

And to quote a recent acquaintance of mine, Zane Hagy – CEO and company Mascot for z11 Communications (@zane_z11comm), “I am no Social Media expert, and neither are people that say they are.  It keeps changing too fast.”

What say you Mr. and Mrs. Social Media Professional?  What makes you a Social Media Professional?

“How much does [that] cost?”

I love being asked this question.  This one question alone means that this potential customer has yet to be sold on a person.  If I am being asked this question, then it doesn’t matter if they have received a dozen other prices from other contractors.  What this question tells me is that this customer has not been sold on a PERSON to perform the tasks they are hoping to have performed.

You see, most people do not care as much about price as they do about a person that will care for them and walk them through the process…whatever that process is.

Oh sure, they will say that they are interested in getting the lowest price, but if you offer them  VALUE, then price becomes less important.

Most business owners have a split personality… the professional and the person.

The professional wants to jump at the chance to show the customer why he or she is the most qualified expert in his or her field, explain all the technical aspects of his or her experience, and sell them the highest quality products or services based on the scope of the project.

The person wants to ask about the customer’s family, where the customer works, how the customer heard about your business, and specifically what the customer wants to accomplish by the end of his or her project.

When the professional meets the customers, it’s all about YOU.  When the person meets the customers, it’s all about THEM.

As a business owner, you should strive for engagement with your customers…developing a relationship with them…finding out their needs…getting to know them.  Once you have sold them on you as a person and they know they can trust you, then you will be able to offer a range of prices for their project or services required depending on their specific scope.

I have failed miserably at this in the past.  Example: I was talking with a couple about a remodeling project, and they were looking for a contractor and project manager.  I spent no less than two hours going over my qualifications, past projects, and all the technical aspects of performing a project such as this.  After two hours of pontificating, one of the owner’s (the wife) asked me the following question that stopped my in my tracks:

“Are you excited about doing this project?”

You see, the professional met this owner at the door and the person never had a chance.  These folks were more interested a person that they could trust to walk them through the difficult process of tearing their house apart, than the professional that spoke in terms they weren’t quite familiar with.

Fortunately, the person finally “came out” and met them that evening, but the professional almost lost me that project.

If you can gain their trust as a person then you will have the ability to explain why your product or service costs what is costs.  You show them that your pricing is fair.  You tell them if someone else has a lower price for the same scope of work, it is because that the other “professional” has missed something.

Remember: when that customer walks in your door, they have not been sold on a PERSON yet, even though they say they are shopping for a price.  Once you have sold them on you as a person that cares for them, then the professional can take over and help them define the specifics of what they really want…a rewarding experience with a company that is looking out for them.

You may think that Social Media and Networks do not fit into your overall marketing strategy.  Understand this:

“Smart businesses will embrace this public engagement model as well, particularly in
how they ladder engagement among natural allies such as customers, employees,
retirees and suppliers. Otherwise, businesses will be at a significant tactical and
strategic disadvantage when their critics and competitors create a groundswell
of their own.“

What does this mean? You may not be “doing it”, but your competition will.

How can social media benefit my business?

Consider this example from the Edelman Report:

“Obama issued his first President-elect weekly radio address on YouTube so
that it could be embedded, shared and commented on easily. It worked. Although relatively few people typically
listen to the president’s weekly address on the radio, Obama’s YouTube address was viewed by more than a
million people.”

Is there some aspect of your business that is not reaching your targeted audience?  Maybe you should consider embracing the new tools that are at your fingertips.

Here are few tips that might get you started…

1. Email campaign – Vertical Response Aweber Icontact

2. Develop a Mobile Marketing Campaign -

“Ninety percent of Americans are within three feet
of their cell phones 24 hours a day. People still read more than 90 percent of their text messages, while
pages of e-mails sit unopened in inboxes. Text messaging and the mobile Web offers an opportunity to
reach supporters directly anywhere they are, any time of the day.“

3. Use Analytics to Track EVERYTHING!

4. Ensure that people can find your content.  If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it…

Be cautious, start early, and engage with your audience.  If you don’t, your competition will.

THE PROBLEM WAS ME.

I looked just like the competition; doing what they were doing – chasing down work instead of building my business up. You see, there are very few barriers to entrance in this field.  Anyone with a tool box and a pick-up truck can call themselves a Contractor, whether or not they have the required business experience, proper insurance, and/or licensing.

This is the approach many people take when entering into Social Media for the purposes of promoting themselves or their businesses.  They think…

“I have these tools and a vehicle for getting around.  What’s stopping me from getting a piece of this Social Media action?”

The answer is…NOTHING. NOTHING is stopping you from entering into the world of Social Media.  This ZERO BARRIERS element of Social Media is very appealing. You have to ask yourself, “If there are ZERO BARRIERS for entrance into Social Media, and everyone is doing it…then how do I do it correctly?” The answer to that question is easy.  The execution of that answer is difficult.

The answer…

You become an authority on whatever it is you are promoting.

Even if you are not an authority on the subject, you become one by researching it and providing the information about it to others.  And don’t make it up.  Be transparent.

You give away the information for free.

We have all been bombarded with advertising since we left the womb.  People can spot an ad a mile away.  Don’t try to sell your product or service.  Sell yourself.  When people buy into you, then they will become your largest sales team.

Develop a plan BEFORE you enter scene.

Your first message to the world of Social Media should not be “Just testing this [____________] out.”  You wouldn’t hire me to fix your roof if that’s what my business card stated.

Be patience.

With the rapid growth of Social Media outlets and networks, my guess is that your competition is jumping in without considering the items above.  Don’t worry.  Not only can you catch up to your competition that may already be in these places, but also you should be able to outshine them when the time comes.  But for now, just wait and watch and take notes.

Be a specific personality.

Don’t just talk about your service or your product.  That’s what your traditional marketing campaign is for.  You want to engage people about you.  Once they get to know you, you will inform them of who you are and what you do.

THE EXECUTION…

Doing [Social Media] correctly means engaging in Conversations with your audience.  How best do you converse with your audience? I don’t know, but you do.  It just takes some artful thinking on your part.

Take note of the true power of Social Media…you are just one mouse click away from being “Unfollowed” by your audience and potentially shut out for a very long time.

So how did I overcome all the other guys with tools and pick-up trucks.  I offered services that they don’t and I spent a lot of time educating my potential clients before the sale was made.  I may not get every project I would like, but I get another person that knows I am different from the rest of the crowd.