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Ten Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert

Ten Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert

10. You updated your blog in December. 2009.

9. You’re convinced that Orkut will be the breakout social network of 2011.

This is not the same dude.

8. You’re feeding your Twitter stream into Facebook.

7. You think Chris Brogan was the star of “Jonah Hex.”

6. You’re still quoting the Malcolm Gladwell “10,000 hour rule,” unaware that you’re quoting someone who quoted someone else who didn’t actually read the book.

5. Your business email address ends with “@aol.com,” but you don’t work for AOL.

4. You work for AOL.

3. You play Farmville so much, Zynga’s revenues plummeted the week you went on vacation.

2. You tell people you had the high score on Technorati when you were in high school.

1. Your social media experience consists of your unpaid college internship at your dad’s accounting firm.

My book, Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself (affiliate link), is available on Amazon.com, as well as at Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores. I wrote it with my good friend, Kyle Lacy.

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About Erik Deckers

Erik Deckers is the President of Pro Blog Service, a content marketing and social media marketing agency He co-authored four social media books, including No Bullshit Social Media with Jason Falls (2011, Que Biz-Tech), and Branding Yourself with Kyle Lacy (3rd ed., 2017, Que Biz-Tech), and The Owned Media Doctrine (2013, Archway Publishing). Erik has written a weekly newspaper humor column for 10 papers around Indiana since 1995. He was also the Spring 2016 writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando, FL.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Courtney Hunt says

    I just wrote a long post in response to the criticisms Peter Shankman made in his recent diatribe against “social media experts.” It offers a different perspective on his arguments, articulates the need for social media expertise, and provides guidance for hiring individuals and organizations (consultants, contractors, and employees) to help with social media initiatives. I would love for you all to read/comment on what I wrote (esp. Erik), including a link back to this post and/or other resources you think would be valuable.

    The post is entitled “Social Media Experts: Yes, they Exist. And Yes, You Should Hire Them. But Do Your Due Diligence” and can be accessed via .

    Thanks!

    Courtney Hunt
    Founder, Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) Community

  2. Chris Vanasdalan says

    Nice list. I would add an 11th. Anyone who claims to be a “guru.” Beware those who feel the need to self-gloss rather than letting their work/experience speak for itself.

  4. Erik Deckers says

    @Josh, I decided to answer your question in a blog post. It will publish at 8 am tomorrow (Tuesday).

    @Randy, that’s a great topic. I may work that one up soon.

  5. Chuck Gose says

    If you keep asking to speak at every event instead of being asked. If you’re a respected individual, people will seek you out.

  7. Randy Clark says

    I look forward to the next installment,

    “How to be a social media expert, the things social media rock stars all know, but don’t want to share”

Trackbacks

  1. […] I found interesting was the idea that Social Media was being used as a propaganda tool by the […]

  2. […] new friend and social media expert Erik Decker, author of Branding Yourself, recently posted the 10 Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert.  I use Twitter and Facebook constantly, so I was surprised when I realized I was doing #8 on the […]

  4. Tweets that mention Ten Signs You're NOT a Social Media Expert Professional Blog Service -- Topsy.com says:

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lisa Braithwaite, Erik Deckers and others. Erik Deckers said: New post: Ten Signs You’re NOT a Social Media Expert http://bit.ly/fNDMcR […]