Are you an Internet Marketer? No, you’re not!

OK, I’ve been dying to write about this for a while so bear with me for a little rant-type of post in today’s schedule. With the explosion of all social media websites and platforms like WordPress and Blogger, nowadays everyone has access to publishing and networking. The more time passes, the more such “Internet Marketer” and “Social Media Expert” profiles seem to rises around us, invading our Twitter accounts – following – and our Facebook accounts – connecting.

In a tough economical climate and with the rapid development that has always been the online’s industry trademark, it’s only natural for people to try different ideas and approaches as means to create either an extra income or a stable full-time income in this field. That’s understandable, but what I simply don’t get is where do these “experts” come from?

It’s a job like any other

Being an Internet / Social Media Marketer is a regular job, not much different than being a teacher or a policeman, for example. So if it’s just a job, I’m yet to see that person on Twitter – let’s say – that describes his/her job position as “Junior Internet Marketer”. Have you seen any? Let me answer that for you: NO.

We’re living in a world where being and Internet Marketer is not a qualification, but rather a personal decision, and where the “Expert” title is not earned by the appreciation of others or results of your work, but rather a catchy term that acts like a “nice bling” on your profile.

In a world where a self-titled Social Media Expert follows 3000 people on Twitter and has 4000 followers you know you’re bound to waste time and money if you put your trusts in the wrong hands. And to further express my worries about this topic: Have you ever looked at some of these Experts’ websites, blogs or even their big-bold-italic-red-titled-dash-bordered-money-back-guaranteed sales e-letters? Maybe I’m just crazy, but tell me in which universe a person that doesn’t put up the money to get a decent design (an investment in his/her own image – self-marketing/self-promotion) would qualify as an expert to teach us or promote our products/services?

Open your eyes

Take a good look at the reality around you. Want to see how a real Internet Marketer looks like? An expert? There you go: Chris Brogan, and if you don’t agree with me, check the stats:

• ~60.000 blog subscribers (not counting daily casual readers);
• ~145.000 Twitter followers (can you imagine the exposure?);
• Marketing business owner/president;
• Published book author;
• Top 5 in AdAge Power 150;
• Speaker at countless industry events and workshops;
• And the list could go on and on…

Now, if everyone else is an expert, what should Chris do? Start a religion? And before it passes your mind – NO – this post is not sponsored by Chris, although I bet he pays decently.

What needs to change?

The answer is so simple: We should all exercise our decency. Truth and honesty about our own abilities and performance would take us further than a faked-blinged-out profile. The road from spare-time blogger or work-at-home blogger to Social Media Marketer / Expert is long, and although many take it, less than a handful reach the end. Just remember that along this path, there are crossroads that we call stages, and through which you have to go. You cannot jump to the statute of Expert just because you wish to.

This article has 6 comments

• 

  Lorian Rivers

  July 30th, 2010

  BRAVO! I see these so called experts touting their “goods” from websites I wouldn’t frequent let alone pay money for!

  Thanks for saying what most others won’t. Just becuase you are online does not make you an online expert!
• 

  Jerry

  July 30th, 2010

  I agree

  Each day I try to just pass along something I’ve learned and hope it helps to improve someones knowledge of Social Media.
• 

  Andrew

  July 31st, 2010

  So true. Others just use the title expert to be able to sell something. However, readers would know and they will not stick to you and spread around bar word about you. So it’s best to be true to yourself and to be honest.
• 

  Alex, Blogsessive

  July 31st, 2010

  @Lorian Rivers: I’m sure others said it before me, but I still don’t think it’s said often enough. You don’t need guts to say this, you need guts to acknowledge and admit your own level.

  @Jerry: Passing along information is something. Stating you’re some sort of “guru” is something else. I’ve checked your website, and the honesty shown in words like “teaching”, basic” is something you rarely find. Congratulations!

  @Andrew: Readers? I’m not taking for granted the knowledge of my readers. Don’t get me wrong! I put a lot of faith and trust in their capacity to absorb and successfully apply new information, but that’s being “smart”, and I know my faithful readers are smart. A knowledge base is built by being smart and gathering information, but you always need guidance to tie the two together. Like when you were a baby. You had a 1 and you had a 2, but until someone told you that you could add them to get 3, those two numbers were mostly useless to you. If, when being a new-entry in this field, you get this guidance from self-titled-underachieving-experts you’ve messed up quite a few steps.

  Thank you all for commenting!
• 

  Jun on Blogmaster

  July 31st, 2010

  Interesting point here Alex. You posted a question well my answer is, no, I’m not an internet marketer. I’m just a blogger obsessed with blogging just like you. And just like everybody else, I’m trying to swim my way in an ocean of journals looking for opportunities and a potential income on-line.
• 

  Jerry

  August 1st, 2010

  Alex

  What disturbs me the most is the fact that most SEO companies think they know it all.

  My contention is you can’t. Because we will never know all the magic the big G puts into the sauce.

  So we can share what works and what doesnt, but to claim omniscience is foolish.

  Everyone needs to learn more each day, SEO’s included.

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