Calling all mavens.
A ‘maven’ is someone (not necessarily female BTW) who is knowledgeable about something. It’s from a Hebrew word meaning to understand.
Are you a maven? I am.
I’m a social media maven.
Mind you, the nice thing about claiming to be a social media maven is that no-one can say you aren’t. The science of social media is so young – and shifting and swelling so vigorously – that there really aren’t any certified experts on the subject. So, being a maven is an accessible claim.
So, in my maven role, allow me to provide this advice to you.
It’s arguable that every business – in fact, every human undertaking that involves other people – needs a ‘social media’ facet to its being. That is, it needs a mechanism whereby it can be in contact… and stay in contact… with its intended community of clients/customers/prospects from a ‘social’ point of view. All successful undertakings have some form of contact with their communities, but many have only what you might call propaganda contact (advertising, paid messaging, favourable spin etc.).
Nothin’ wrong with that. However it might prompt you, the innocent consumer, to say: “I hear what you’re telling me about you, Mr. Advertiser. I’ll take your opinion of yourself under advisement. However, where can I find the naked truth that allows me to separate the wheat from the chaff and decide what’s really substantial about your claims – vs. what’s just gossamer pretext?”
Social media vehicles allow you to declare yourself – clearly, authentically, and with more than a modicum of genuine personality. They let you go full frontal without shocking your audience. (You hope =(:(l)-
You’re hearing this from a social media maven, see.
It stands to reason, then, that there’s a place in this world for social media consultants. (Ahem). “Huh? But I thought you just said it needed to be an authentic expression of my personality. Doesn’t that mean that I have to do it?. Personally?”
Not necessarily so. Consider, for a moment, the value of consultant as ‘coach’.
A coach is someone who helps you improve your performance by doing something you cannot do for yourself. He/she gets a view of you from the outside looking in, can separate the forest from the trees, and can advise on accentuating the most positive parts of your skills and/or other attributes. In the context of social media, a coach is someone who can listen to what you’re trying to accomplish, and advise you how to put your best foot forward… socially. With communication. Not comfortable with communication? Well, better than just a coach, then, is a coach/player. Someone who can walk a mile in your shoes, and tell the tale in your authentic voice.
In short, a writer. Ghost writer. And social media maven.
Check out this article by Mark Evans in the Globe & Mail for more food for thought – http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/your-business/start/mark-evans/how-to-pick-your-social-media-person/article1549387/
Where technology is concerned, when you actually do something that works for you – like you physically press a button or key and a myriad of digital bits and bytes harmonize, and perform some kind of practical magic – it’s a beautiful thing. In that moment of doing, you get a whole lot of seeing how technology can be put to work. However, if you never get to the doing, because you’re stymied by not really knowing your way around the tech device/application/service, there definitely ain’t going to be much seeing going on.