Social Media Certification - Yes or No

Is it possible to really be an expert in Social Media Marketing? It’s very difficult to be an authority on something that is changing and growing so rapidly; and which, as a result, is embroiling the business world in a series of gut-wrenching adjustments that make a mockery of the term “status quo?” So when someone, especially a consultant, tells you they are a “certified” social media expert, it’s best to be skeptical.

What is the definition of a social media “expert?” Do they have a document that certifies their training and experience makes them a better advisor than someone who is not certified? Does this certification prove their competence? Is certification an early indicator of a successful engagement? These are important questions for executives to be asking.

Social Media certification is open anyone willing to pay a few thousand dollars and complete an on-line course. You can get certified from a variety of educational intuitions, training centers, and even from a few product vendors. Some certifications require that you actually show proficiency in using social media tools, others do not. After completing the coursework, “graduates” get to claim certification in their email signature line, on their blog, and everywhere else they want. Just look for the logo.

Understandably, there is a lot of discussion about social media certification in the blogosphere. Many very smart bloggers say that social media certification is rubbish. They argue that the only people who want to be certified are those who came to social media late and are trying to substitute a short training class for real experience. These bloggers say that real social media experts got started even before certification was available.

The truth is that there are a lot of people calling themselves Social Media Consultants. Some of them are very good and some of them are not. Most are in the middle someplace. And certification is one way to differentiate them when you don’t have a lot of information about their past work.

Does social media training matter? How do corporate decision-makers view certifications? Are they important or just interesting? In other words, given the choice between hiring a consultant that is social media certified (to have actually received some training) and hiring someone that only has experience and references, which one gets the project?

If you work for a company that hires consultants, answer the question (upper left column). If you are a consultant, share your thoughts on certification below.

http://xeesm.com/mikedubrall

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Social Media Certification - Yes or No

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