I’m not sure what’s happened in the last year, but I’m noticing that there’s a new Social Media Guru popping up around every dark corner of the internet. The next time one of them pops up on your screen you should ask them, “Are you for Real?”
There are too many people out there who are not what they claim to be. Before you make a choice on who to listen to, who to follow, or who to hire as a social media consultant you should do a little research.
- How did you hear about them?
Was it through their endless barrage of self promotion? Don’t get me wrong, self promotion can be OK, but if that’s the only things they’re doing chances are they don’t really get it. Who’s more likely to list their house with you, the person that found your ad in the local Pennysaver, or the person who was referred to you by a past client?
- What have they done?
Talk is cheap, especially in the world of social media. Here’s what most people still don’t get, resumes are dead. Why? Because they’re a 2 dimensional representation of what a person says they can do. Today’s resume is an aggregate of what you’ve done online. Conversations, blog posts and photos give a real time look at who you are, what you’re passionate about and what you’re capable of. If a so called “Social Media Guru” can’t show you anything they’ve done online, there may be a problem.
- Where are they?
If you want to learn how to buy foreclosures would you go to a relocation specialist? Hell No! When you’re looking for a social media consultant you have to research their overall social presence. Are they using the networks that you use? Are they successful on these networks? Just having a profile isn’t enough. Some things you should be looking for are:
- Facebook: Do they have a Facebook Fan Page? Is anyone interacting with them or is the wall covered in just their posts? What kind of information are they sharing?
- Twitter: Are they tweeting regularly? Are they being retweeted? What are they tweeting about?
- You Tube: Is their channel specialized? How many “upload video views” do they have? What are their videos about?
- Linked In: Is their profile complete? Do they have any recommendations? Do they have any “Best Answers?” What industry are they in?
Another thing you should take into consideration is the value proposition. When you’re doing research make sure to look at the content they’re providing across the platforms. Are they adding value to the conversation, or are they taking value?
The New world of Social Media allows us to quickly an easily sniff out the real people from the fakes. If a persons message is not consistent across the entire space there’s a problem. There’s only one true you, so which profile is it?
Are you REALLY for Real?
I feel like I would have let you down if I didn’t add a little twist. Now that you’ve read the entire post I want you to go back an replace “Social Media” with the words “Real Estate” and “Guru” with the word “Professional.”
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I’ll give you a minute to re-read the post with the new words
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Is you message clear online? Are you for real?
We are in the middle of a fundamental shift in marketing. The hunters have become the hunted. If your message is not clear prospects can easily move on to someone else.
Now that you realized how important your social presence is, what are you going to do to make sure that your message is on target? Leave a comment below.
