"Social Media Experts" and Other Hazards

Excerpt, from (in my opinion) a pretty good post:

"Oddly enough, most of the 'social media experts' that write books on the subject (read: get paid to speak, not to actually have ever managed social media for a client) tend to spend most of their tweets sharing quotes and news stories. The celebrities are split into two groups: ones that say really mundane things that we adore like reading People Magazine and the ones that attempt to use it as a platform for social change (yet don't follow anyone back.) Most of the companies on Twitter are talking at you in a way that is basically an advertising bastardization of this social tool. The 'professionals' seem to think that passing along news articles all day long is the sole use of Twitter – and sadly most of them are about 3 hour behind everyone else. The MLM crowds spam you constantly and create one or two fake 'real tweets' between spam to fool people. (Who? I'm not sure.)..."
(Amanda Vega Consulting) [emphasis mine]

My guess is that "MLN" stands for Multi-Level Marketing: Not Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. I suppose it could be Mailing List Manager or Mid-Level Manager, but that doesn't seem too likely. The lesson there is, I think: beware acronyms. You know what you mean, but others may not.

There's more - quite a lot more - in the original post.

The advice - to view (alleged) experts skeptically - is, I think, valid. You'd think that publishing houses wouldn't waste ink, paper, and marketing resources on an inaccurate book: but the fact is that many are more interested in turning a profit, than being helpful. My opinion. And, some editor - or, worse, manager - may think that the wannabe expert is the hottest thing since Aaron Montgomery Ward decided to mail a catalog to prospects. (Why 'or worse'? Managers can do more damage to their companies than editors. My opinion.)

I think the author was on the right track, characterizing online communities as being "...like an electronic high school...." The point that so many marketing 'experts' seem to miss is that people in online communities are - people. Some of us seem to have had our last contact with Homo sapiens sapiens in the mid-to-late teens, with high school as the major social experience.

Think about it. Think about it. You're trying to convince people that they'd be interested in a product or service of yours. And, that you're in high school. Standing in the hall, or in the lunch room.

How effective would it be - in the long run - if you kept shouting things like "I made eight thousand dollars in the last eight minutes!!!!" or "Cleaner!! Meaner!! Cuts Grease!!!" - - - You get the idea.

Or, if you're an "expert," you don't.

Spelling it out: online communities are communities. They're made up of people, not targets for marketing. If you throw advertising slogans at them, likely enough they'll tune you out - promptly, and maybe permanently.

That kind of 'marketing strategy' you don't need.

Sort-of-related posts about marketing:

• "Well, That's Interesting: Web Strategy Matrix: Google Buzz vs Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter"
  (February 11, 2010)
• "What Not to do On Twitter (Or Any Social Media)"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (February 3, 2010)
• "Well, That's Interesting: Tweetmeme and Twittley Button"
  (February 2, 2010)
• "A Thought for the Day: Marketing Isn't Yucky"
  (September 19, 2009)
• "FTC and Bogus Blog Endorsements: Sounds Sensible"
  (April 3, 2009)
• "Annoying Your Website's Visitors: Not as Good an Idea as it Seems"
  (February 4, 2009)
• "Marketing Your Blog: Linkbaiting Advice"
  (January 1, 2009)
• "How Not to Close a Business"
  (April 30, 2008)
• ""Banned in Boston" - Not the Worst Fate"
  (April 2, 2008)
• "Online Publicity and Marketing"
  (August 17, 2007)

More:

• "You’re Using Twitter Wrong (and Other Egotistical Stuff Social Media Experts Claim)"
  Amanda Vega, Amanda Vega Consulting (February 18, 2010)

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A tip of the hat to Twitter_Tips, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this post.