I am concerned and amazed at the number of a self-promoters who claim to be experts and use social media to promote themselves. How does one distinguish between an expert and a self-promoter? How does one determine whether a person has value or is merely interesting? That is the challenge faced by the advent of the Internet and social media, a mostly unregulated medium and, in many cases, it has ventured into unchartered territory.
Anyone can market himself or herself as a professional and some are really good at selling themselves. The ability to sell yourself does not mean you have something valuable to sell or you are an expert in any other field. I have a pet peeve against someone who boldly claims they are a “professional” or “offer professional advice…”. You probably know the opposite meaning of professional is amateur.
When individuals use social media to promote a product or service (mainly themselves), does it mean he or she is a professional? I think it’s a good question and helpful to think about if you want to determine if a self-promoter is for real.
The word professional means an individual is trained, practiced, certified and/or licensed. In a broader context it means an individual who receives pay from an occupation that requires extensive education, training or a high degree of skill or competence. What it does not mean is someone who is merely adept at identifying a new technology or trend and capitalizing on it without accompanying specialized training, knowledge or education.
There are many self-promoters who know one piece of the puzzle without understanding the bigger picture. An example of this would be an individual who promotes social media as being the end-all, be-all answer to business issues. While social media is a new and exciting way to communicate, the age-old and time-tested principles of marketing have not changed. The basic principles are known as the “4 Ps of marketing” – product, price, place and promotion. When used correctly, all four components contribute to a successful and sustainable business.
Social media makes communicating information faster and easier but that doesn’t mean the medium is appropriate for everyone who runs a business. In other words, the jury is still out.
I recall an ad for hamburger in the 80s in which an elderly female asked a simple question, “Where’s the beef?”. That’s what I look for to distinguish between an expert and an amateur. I want the beef, the whole beef and nothing but the beef. The beef, for me, consists of experience, education, credentials, specialized training, authoritative knowledge.
The ability to know the difference between an expert and an amateur and value and interesting is something each person should develop and consider.
Look for Part 2 of “A Modern Miner in Nevada” to be posted soon.
