I think you bring up a great point. At what point is hiring someone to run a corporate social media marketing department necessary? Isn’t this this the same as hiring any position to represent a company?

But let me ask you one thing. Do larger companies hire people do run their social media departments or social media efforts? We know they do, it’s a rhetorical question. You know what my point is going to be. Small business owners are very often consumed with running their small business and trying to find time to have an actual life. But their needs can even run much deeper and be much more varied than that. It is our challenge to help them bridge that gap while maintaining authenticity.

Social media is means of communicating. Just as there are people who are not that skilled at communicating on a face to face basis, there are people / small businesses not that skilled or need assistance for other reasons in putting their message forth.

I think the first Porsche owners must have had a special way of driving their new fangled machines and resisted late comers and their unpolished respect of the old traditions. Just because they were the first ones, doesn’t mean they can’t learn a thing or two from the new innovators.

Social media management is here to stay just as public affairs managers are here to stay. There will be clumsy ones and there will be naturals, but the role of social media managers is to bridge the gap for their respective clients and, over time, the collective skill set will improve – whether they be on-staff employees or contractors.

And yes, I’ve started unfriending these on FB and Twitter. I don’t need that crap!

Craig