Social Media Experts are Like My Chiropractor

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I love seeing the give and take on the marketing forums like MarketingProfs and LinkedIn’s Q&A. But, I have to chuckle at times when I see the advice given by social media experts. In a way it reminds me of my chiropractor.

My chiropractor is the best doctor I have ever been to. He knows what he’s talking about and he’s great at what he does. His specialty goes beyond aligning bones and into nutrition and sports therapy.

I have jokingly suggested that he thinks everything can be solved with chiropractic care. According to him, one of the best times to see him is when I have a cold. Apparently, alignment can make all the difference.

He is also a strong advocate of eating right and exercise. That may be putting it too mildly, but he knows that without a strong foundation no amount of alignment is ever going to put one on the path toward better health.

I trust him - certainly more than any MD. But, it’s because of the breadth of his knowledge and not because he’s a chiropractor. It’s also because of his integrity. I know he’d tell me if he couldn’t help me and I needed to see another type of specialist. He cares about the rest of my health and not just my alignment.

So why do social media experts remind me of my chiropractor?

No matter what kind of marketing dilemma the person asking the question on the forum asks, it seems there’s always a social media expert to suggest that social media is the answer.

I respect the social media experts for their knowledge and skills, however, suggesting that someone who barely understands the basics of marketing that they should start blogging seems a bit like telling a sick person who is not taking care of themselves that a weekly visit to a chiropractor will do the trick.

Before someone gets involved in Blogs, Twitter, forums etc, I’d suggest they master the basics and develop a marketing plan that will give them some consistency in their lead generation. Many of these elements of their plan are likely to be much more traditional in nature. e.g. a well-defined target market, traditional campaign development, and a lead nurturing program. Social media may be part of the plan, but like chiropractic care, it is part of a much larger equation and not the sole answer.

I applaud the social media experts who truly are like my chiropractor and who see the big picture. These professionals usually developed a strong foundation in other marketing disciplines before they got involved in social media. Those of you without this breadth of experience would do well to broaden your horizons so that you can see the “whole patient.”