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Brain Buster

Social Media Consultants On the Block

I have to give a tip of the hat to Jaffe, Brogan, Livingston, Strout, and Verdino for putting themselves on the block as consultants on eBay. It’s to raise money for charity, but I see it as an indicator of the point in evolution of the Social Media Consultant (in contrast to the critics who have coined the phrase Social Media Douchebag).

There can be no whining, crying or questions, the numbers are out there for the whole world to see and bid on. The questions is: Can all of the Social Media Hype cross over to become honest buzz, and better yet, profitable business?

The biggest blind spot in the Social Media Consultant is the marketing of services to the converted. Talking about your social media prowess on twitter and through Facebook is showing off your flycasting in the sandbox. There are no other fishermen there to pay you for lessons and you qualify as a hobbyist, not a professional.

The fun part is that this is no longer concerned with social media, it will come down to marketing. Who will do the best job of getting their message beyond the fishbowl? My money is on Jaffe, and I know it’s lame to take the odds on favorite, but with 2 books and a ton of speaking gigs around the globe, he’s got the best reach. (I think he’s also got the foresight to see what a $10k deal could do across the board for hype. I wouldn’t think less of any of them for going Red Saber to do whatever is necessary to get that number up)

Right now, 9 days left, no bids in yet. Here’s the links to add to your “My Ebay”.

Brogan.

Jaffe.

Livingston.

Strout.

Verdino.

Let’s get ready to rumble…

btw, Verdino was in the original post but wasn’t up when I checked, more news as it happens… Link added!

6 replies on “Social Media Consultants On the Block”

This is really interesting a million different ways, and I’m late out the door so I can’t go into it. First, flycasting in the sandbox is my new favorite analogy for the social media consulting thing. Love it. Perfect explanation.

Second, you’ve hit a perfect note with wondering just what I might do to convert and change a business’s numbers. That’s why one would ostensibly hire me, right? To figure out how I’ll make some number in the organization go up or down.

I have some theories on my answer, but not enough time to rough them out. (And they are only theories).

Perfect points to make, John. Thanks for the post.

John, this is a great way to start looking at social media consulting as a recognized practice. This is how it launches on its way to a full-fledged business. Let’s hope it continues to thrive.

When I had the chance to speak to the IMCNE (International Management Consultants, New England chapter) last week, I made sure to keep the in-references at a minimum. Instead, I engaged the audience with strategy & objectives first (or at least the need to set them) and asked questions regarding existing services that they could relate to.

Example: when addressing podcasting, I’d ask “Okay, who’s heard of TiVo?” (hands go up) “Who’s listened to an audio clip on the Internet?” (hands go up) Then, I’d go in for the kill with, “Think of podcasts as TiVo for sound files on your computer – like radio by appointment.”

We’re so in over our heads in some of these tools that it’s easy to lose sight of what it was like to be a relatively inexperienced newbie.

Oh, and glad to supply the douchebag video. 😉

John,

Thanks for drawing attention to this important fund raising activity! I hadn’t thought about the secondary benefit of the auction but you’re right, this can help legitimize the field.

Not a lot more to add beyond what the three smart people ahead of me said (Brogan, Monty and Johnson Jr.). Hope to meet you in the flesh sometime soon!

Best,
Aaron | @astrout

Scott – I was going to remark about you being #1 for SMDB and thought better of it. Chris – something to discuss over the next drink…

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