Are You A Social Media Expert?

At what point do you call yourself an expert at anything?

To me,  the term expert can only be applied when other people are using it to refer to you.  Labeling yourself an expert, guru, or the ever cringe worthy term, Ninja, makes you look foolish at best.  Most of these terms are laughable and make you look like an amateur.  At least in my opinion.

When it comes to Social Media, there are so many platforms and ways to use Social Media,……at what point are you an expert?  A few years ago, if you had success on Facebook or Twitter, you could probably proclaim you've mastered Social Media…..and gotten away with it.  Not anymore.

Today is a much different ballgame.  While the big dogs are still the big dogs, there are so many newer platforms that are really becoming a force in Social Media and they can't be avoided anymore.  Sites like Pinterest, Tumblr and Four Square can be a more powerful platform for your business than Twitter or Facebook could ever be.  It depends on your business and your personal style.

I know business owners that hate long form blogging and cringe at the thought of trying to write a 600 word article for their blog, but just kill it when it comes to image sharing via Pinterest or short form blogging/photo blogging via Tumblr.  It comes down to finding what works best for you.

I guess my point is that, if you meet a “Social Media expert” and they tell you you absolutely need to be doing this and doing that…..take it with a grain of salt.  What works for them, may not work for you.  Where they have found success, you may find failure….and vice/versa.  Social Media is , like networking, about the individual.  It's self aggrandizing in both good and bad ways.  You may find you hate Facebook and Twitter, but love Google+.  Despite what people say, it's ok to ignore platforms if that's not your bag.  Pick the one's that are and have fun with it.

Below is an inforgraphic by Silverpop, It shows the user bases of established and emerging social platforms.  You'll notice that some of the smaller social networks are growing at a rapid rate.  Who knew China was so big on social?  Test a few of them out, and have fun, that's what It's supposed to be about.

Using social media for small business

 

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Gary

CEO at 3Bug Media
Gary Shouldis is the founder of 3Bug Media, a web marketing company that helps businesses create 360 Marketing Strategies to dominate their market. His blog is read by over 20 thousand small business owners a month and has been featured in the N.Y. Times Small Business, Business Insider and Yahoo Small Business.
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