Social Media Consultant - Is there a market for this profession?
Caught this query in the Social Media Marketing LinkedIn group. My rapid fire response below...
Haven't read through all 100+ comments so forgive me if I'm repeating - just wanted to add that I think there is a market today - but in its current form this is a medium-term consulting opportunity at best. While many companies struggle today to get their social media houses in order, external consultants can certainly help create structure, content and offer hands-on management.
But as companies (borrowing shamelessly from Mark Zuckerberg) rethink themselves in social ways, social media channels and activities will become the norm regardless of the business function. The need for real time interaction and specialized responses will make it more difficult for third parties to play their current transactional roles.
With this inevitable maturation of social media, the opportunity is for consultancies to support the connection between business objective and customer - and enable this through a range of integrated communications techniques.
Speaking for my own profession (PR) if I may, I see our future as one in which we shape and guide narrative, we coach and construct strategy, we build communities and networks, but we don't necessarily engage on behalf of companies as we do today.
-Jeremy
Haven't read through all 100+ comments so forgive me if I'm repeating - just wanted to add that I think there is a market today - but in its current form this is a medium-term consulting opportunity at best. While many companies struggle today to get their social media houses in order, external consultants can certainly help create structure, content and offer hands-on management.
But as companies (borrowing shamelessly from Mark Zuckerberg) rethink themselves in social ways, social media channels and activities will become the norm regardless of the business function. The need for real time interaction and specialized responses will make it more difficult for third parties to play their current transactional roles.
With this inevitable maturation of social media, the opportunity is for consultancies to support the connection between business objective and customer - and enable this through a range of integrated communications techniques.
Speaking for my own profession (PR) if I may, I see our future as one in which we shape and guide narrative, we coach and construct strategy, we build communities and networks, but we don't necessarily engage on behalf of companies as we do today.
-Jeremy