Calgary and Lethbridge Alberta Social Network and Marketing Experts

This post is a bit of a rant. There is a 7% chance that you will be offended after reading this.

You live in Lethbridge or Calgary and You tell people You are a Social Networking Expert … or a Marketing Expert… Really?

I read a book... now can I have $2000 to tell you what was in the book?

This cartoon marketer lady isn’t too far from the reality of what business owners have to deal with. I was reading a business related blog out of Lethbridge and the person was promoting him/herself as a social network expert and marketer (I’ll say ‘he’ from here on) but after finding out he has 39 Facebook friends I wondered how knowledgable he really was. Though, he did say that he had read some social network books so, maybe he’s just not the Internets kind of social network marketer. On another blog, someone was yammering about how great communications = solid ROI. Let me give you some great communications. … WTF, are you an idiot?

Here is the Management for Dummies way to determine ROI:

ROI = [(Payback - Investment)/Investment)]*100

So, our blogger in the spotlight thinks: Great Communications = Solid  [(Payback - Investment)/Investment)]*100

I think you get my point.

Click for Calgary Marketing Help

People think marketing is about how to attract customers or how to get the word out. Sorry, but that’s wrong.

To say marketing is about how to attract customers or how to get the word out is the same as saying being a dentist is about wearing a saliva guard face mask.

What makes a Social Networking Expert?

First, it’s relative. If you live in a town of 300 people, then the guy who has Internet access and a few Facebook friends may be your expert.

Spending time cultivating as many “friends” as possible probably won’t make you the expert in a bigger city. Reading books probably won’t do it either – or writing them for that matter.

For business purposes, a social network expert is someone who knows all of the worthwhile sites and can tell you which ones, if any, can help you. He or she can help you implement a strategy to integrate your social network marketing plan with your overall marketing strategy. For illustration purposes, here is a partial list of blogging, social networking, and online tool websites. I’ve linked some of the ones to which I belong. I’ll write a review of these sites in the coming months.

Twitter (877 followers)
Facebook (266 friends. Over 14 million Ad Impressions, over 12,000 Click-throughs, managing 6 groups with 15,000 members. There are companies that manage groups that have millions of members.)
Facebook Pages
Google Buzz
MySpace
Ning
GTalk Status
AIM Status
LinkedIn (former Linked In director of marketing was an honorary member of the University of Lethbridge marketing Club in its inaugural year, 2007. Less than 50 connections)
Tumblr
Identi.ca
Brightkite
Plurk
FriendFeed
Jaiku
Blogger
Plaxo Pulse
Bebo
hi5
Xanga
WordPress.com (managing seven blogs)
Custom URL
Delicious
Koornk
YouAre
Multiply
Yammer
Flickr
StatusNet
Vox
TypePad
ShoutEm
StreetMavens
myYearbook
Posterous
Photobucket
Yahoo Profiles
Tagged
Yahoo Meme
Youtube

This list is pretty much the what’s what of social networking.There are lots of tools out there as well that can make the business side of managing these sites less massively time-wasting.

Is David Howse a Social Network Marketing Expert?

As before, it’s relative. In Lethbridge, there may be two or three other people  whom I consider Social Network / Media experts (Yes, I call my self an expert even if for some reason people say, “you shouldn’t call your self an expert”.)

As for Calgary? I’m going to guess there are probably 10 – 50 guys or gals like me. But, combining Marketing, Social Network, Economics, Finance, and Accounting Knowledge, there are probably 5 or so people who can offer a one-stop solution.

What to Take Away from This.

If you are in Alberta and are looking for a Social Network Marketing Expert, then 2,974,802 out of 2,974,807 times, some one is bs’ing you.

I’m only an email or phone call away if you have any questions.

Thanks,
David Howse

Lethbridge 403.393.8863
Calgary 403.991.8863