Fred Abaroa

I see a lot of seminars conducted by a Social Media Expert. What is a Social Media Expert anyway and can we really learn from one? Lets start with the definition of Social Media, hmmm could not find one, but I could find the definition of Social Media Marketing. Social media marketing is an engagement with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales. Ok sounds good but I also found Social network marketing to have a simular definition. So lets break it down. Social is the interactions between people. Media is the tool used to store and deliver information or data. Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. An expert, more generally, is a person with extensive knowledge or ability in a particular area of study. So to be a Social Media Marketing Expert you'll need to have extensive knowledge in interacting with people with a tool that can provide information for creating communicating, delivering and exchanging information that has value for custoners, clients, partners and society at large.

That was a mouthfull. Can I give you my simple advice? If the "Expert" has no background in any one of the following: Marketing, Media, or being social they cant be an expert. I'd say Marketing and social has got to be the most important because the media is just a tool.