Does Social Media Consultant = BS Artist?

I had a fun evening with a good friend recently, someone I worked with years ago in Best Buy’s IT department. My friend and I have shared loads of stories and experiences over the years, from internet start-ups to technology trends to pig roasting techniques, so I was interested in my friend’s take on social media consulting.

“I’m about to set out a shingle,” I told him, “I’ll be doing some social media consulting.”

“Social media consulting? You mean you’re going to be a bullshit artist?”

I had to laugh, and not because I disagreed. Across the web — Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc. — the words “social media consultant” are starting look like the new acai berry: compelling only to the very naive, to put it nicely.

It’s easy to promise Twitter accounts, Facebook pages and social media strategy, but how many “social media consultants” out there are proving their worth online every single day? Not enough.

If I was looking for someone to help me with my social media strategy, I’d go ahead and read their proposal, but I’d also take a look at the so-called social media consultant’s Twitter account, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and more. And I’d ask myself — does this person run his business the way I run mine? Is he building real relationships with an eye towards a specific goal? Is he growing communities? Does he seem genuine? Is there a logical connection between the content I’m finding in social spaces and the content I’m looking for? Do I like what I see?

Is this social media consultant really just a BS artist?

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