Good agencies do not hire Social Media Strategists

 

I was meeting with a pretty awesome dude recently.

And he brought up how a local digital agency was looking for a Social Media Strategist.

The job description "read like a dream."

I reminded my friend of an often cited rule of thumb in our world.

"Trust no one with Social Media in their title."

A day later I find myself still contemplating this interaction.

Is it wrong for an agency to want to cash in on the social media fad in business?

After all, what agency worth their salt is not trying to get ethnography or anthropology into their DNA?

But I had to conclude that my gut was right.

It would be akin to hiring an HTML Strategist back when the web was booming.

After all, everything and everyone was doing stuff with this new HTML thing.

And today, HTML remains an importation foundation and building block for digital.

But imagine having that title in your CV in today's climate.

Or worse, introducing someone with that title to a client.

Not good.  

You might as well wear a sign that says "we are clueless".

My apologies to anyone who currently has Social Media in their title.

Worry not.

Even if I am right, past job titles in LinkedIn are easy to tweak and change.  ;)

[Image Source: Wheezy Jefferson]

Comments

[Adrian Eden]

Good SEOs and Social Media Strategists don't apply at Agencies.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Never say never :)

[Leigh]

I think Valeria is funny. :)

[Stuart Foster]

Agreed. This is coming from someone (who rather reluctantly) has "social" in their title.

[Scott Hepburn]

I think titles are irrelevant (and mostly made up, anyway), but I'm also curious if anyone other than "us" worries about this.

"We" are the ones who ushered social media into the mainstream. "We" are the ones who declared every company must embrace this movement. Now "we" are saying it's uncool to have social in your title?

"We" are awfully focused on how we define ourselves.

Stu (and others), you have the word "social" in your title because you're teaching others how to BE social. Embrace it! You don't have to run around shouting your job title at everyone, but don't be ashamed of what you do, either.

[Mjmantey]

Please define social media (is it concept, channel or platform?) and then we can determine if there should be a department, division or leader of social media.

[klorenz]

My issue is with the logic. HTML is a specific means of delivering web sites. Just as Java, PHP, ColdFusion, Ruby.. etc. And yes, it would look rather ridiculous to have HTML / JAVA strategist on the resume.

Social media is not a specific means of delivering your message. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (amongst hundreds others) are the means. And if you have Facebook or Twitter strategiest on your resume .. you should get laughed at.

Web strategy is different position. How do you use the web with your current business model or how do you expand your current business on the web. This comes with goals and tactics and measurements. Social media strategy is the same way. How do we take advantage of the medium and how will we measure our success and what does it mean to our bottom line. I don't have it in my title but those who do shouldn't be ashamed (as long as they're delivering!)

[KINGRPG]

I like that you think. Thank you for share very much.

[Danielle]

Great point. I actually do have social media in my title, but would rather it be something else. But what? Be more broad and go with online strategist? new media? I've even seen 'emergig technologies.' So far, I've yet to find a title that I like. I never introduce myself with the title anyway, just say that I work in marketing and specialize in social media strategy. Cop out? Maybe. But it's working okay for now.

I think the whole industry is changing too fast to pin us down to social media. I like your HTML example. It could also be like calling yourself a direct mail strategist or a website strategist. That is so limiting. Social media is an emerging avenue right now, but it is only one part of the bigger picture.

I think the worst thing is when others are putting this label on us- we are 'social media experts.' I am no expert. I got in to social media. I liked it. I started to see and understand the value it brings in marketing and customer relations. But it is all changing at a pace too quickly to call anyone an expert.

[Sean Howard]

I totally agree that this topic could be seen as myopic and nothing but navel gazing.

That said, how we define ourselves does set expectations with our clients. Let's put it this way. I recently met with a media "agnostic" agency. We can leave them nameless as there are so many touting such. They had media planners, media departments, media tools, etc. And then they introduced me to their digital group. I had to chuckle. I asked if there was a TV group and they shook their head. No way! We're media agnostic.

But after chatting with the effervescent Valeria Maltoni, I have to admit that sometimes we have to recognize where our customers are and present solutions that move them forward versus challenging what they expect/want. So if they really, really want a Social Media expert, shouldn't we just cater to such?

[Sean Howard]

LOGIC!!!???

You're going to attempt to argue LOGIC??!!

I should point out you are commenting on a blog with the title of "Craphammer".

Sort of like bringing a toaster to a swim party, no? ;) ;)

[Sean Howard]

ahhhhh...

A very radical (yet insightful) comment, MJ.

Can I call you MJ?

I have given up trying to define social media. Everyone is quick to recognize it. Facebook. Linkedin. Blogs. Twitter. YouTube. UGC. But is it really these things?

Some have tried to define it as a set of traits that something has or doesn't have. But I've yet to see such a breakdown that didn't include every current website on the planet.

Is it a platform? What are it's traits? Where are it's limits?

What if it's a concept? This would go a long way towards explaining my challenge with having it in a title. And it would solve Klorenz' logical challenges with my argument as it's clearly not a technology/thing. ;)

I, for one, would love the title of Chief Social Media Division. ;)

[Sean Howard]

Your welcome, King!

[Sean Howard]

grin. nice. touche.

[Sean Howard]

My boss came up to me yesterday and told me my title had changed to be Head of Social Media. Luckily she was joking. But point taken.

[MarkFairbanks]

Very true. You don't find "TV strategists" at traditional agencies, do you? Social media should be baked into everything we do in digital. It is one of multiple touchpoints in a larger, ever-expanding experience that we need to consider.

[David Jones]

Look less at the title and more at the communications industry's lack of people who have integrated social media into their skill sets. I work in PR. My title is digital, but I focus primarily on the integration of social media into the work we do. I'm here because our clients need that thinking and not everyone in the firm is a conversant as I am.

Why would that be different at an interactive firm? I've met loads that think social media is displaying a Twitter feed on the client's site. No dialogue, just their own tweets. I've dealt with others who believe social media is adding a "share this" button or in their words "link broadcaster". Strategy was the very things these jokers lacked.

The agency business is filled with all sorts. Some people are doers, order-takers and pleasers. They aren't interested in learning anything new and helping to evolve their particular area of expertise. For now, due to limited skill sets, social media strategists seems like a hole that needs to be filled--whether that's for marketing purposes or to look good to a client. Long term, everyone should be like you and see that the integration of this "new" stuff is how things will evolve.

[Gahlord Dewald]

I'm not sure they need social media strategists either.

But on the note of HTML strategists, having had to deal with the spaghetti mess of code that people have pumped out through the years, I really wish someone _had_ hired an HTML strategist back in the day. Or even now. It's amazing what sort of stuff gets released and how it screws up SEO, content marketing, social marketing and so on due to junk code.

Having someone to think through the challenges of a particular technology or form of interaction isn't a bad idea. What I don't trust is the ability of the agency HR to recognize what sort of skill they're seeking.

[Leigh]

I'm pretty sure that "We" had nothing to do with Social Media being in the mainstream. I think "They" the people did that. :)

[Leigh]

Sure you do. They are called 'planners' :)

[Account Deleted]

I'm late to this party but I totally agree with you Sean. Hiring a social media strategy indicates a patent lack of understanding about what social media and social business is. We're intrinsically social as creatures, and that's reflected countless times over and over again in our history, be it in cultural contexts, religious contexts or whatever. To suggest it's new as a discipline or entity is short-sighted.

But then the ad/communications business has never been one for foresight has it? :)

[Jack]

Good day to you young people. I have read this with interest and have decided that, although well written, it is nonsense. I know nought about it, but it makes mother's rod of punishment twitch... and that is NOT a good sign.

Best regards,
Jack.

[Sean Howard]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the words and the comment! And no, sadly, the ad/communications business has never been one for long term planning. Beyond lunch next week, that is. ;)

Hi Jack,

Something tells me you may have distant relatives in common with a certain Sacrum individual? ;)

[Jack]

Be gone with you.

[Gavin Heaton]

Have you seen my latest linkedin update?