Social media isn’t rocket science but when done right, it’s actually thought out and strategic. And thought out and strategic has a much higher chance of being effective and achieving your goals. It simply can’t be accomplished with a one size fits all strategy. Social media marketing and marketing, in general, requires quite a lot of research and analysis to understand your target audience and market.

So, when you come across a so-called “social media guru” handing out advice without having taken the time to know and understand the target audience or the market landscape, what you are getting is not only unhelpful but potentially harmful advice.

This so-called guru advice is not only harmful to a brand, but also to the industry as a whole. Here’s an example, Lawyers would never give legal advice without knowing the full picture. Just like accountants can’t give advice without knowing your full financial story. Have you ever heard of a doctor prescribing a treatment without testing first? Even public relations professionals don’t offer advice without understanding the landscape first. So why would a “one size fits all ” strategy work for every marketing situation?

We take lawyers, accountants, doctors and many other professionals seriously because they have to take the time to learn about our individual situations, then give recommendations. And they can do this only after having studied their trade for years.  Furthermore, unlike the guru, they stick around to implement and adjust the strategy if needed. That’s what real social media and marketing professionals do as well.

Remember that just because someone sounds like a guru doesn’t mean that they actually are one. Sounding like one and being are two completely different things.

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king! 

A word of advice, anyone who tells you right away that they have the answers to your marketing problems without an in-depth analysis is lying to you! They are most likely only interested in one thing…  And the only thing they are probably good at marketing is themselves!