Just about every time I introduce myself to someone who is outside the realm of social media I am asked..What is a Social Mediaist? Interesting enough, the first time I was introduced to a group as a ‘social mediaist’ for the golf industry, I had to sit-down afterwards and define my definition of what a social mediaist does. Hopefully this information will help you as much as it did me in understanding what a person who manages a business’ digital footprint does.
I’ll take for granted you know what social media is and the concept around using social networking as a form of marketing. This assumption will save us both time and words in this blog. If you are not informed on social media maybe this will help. What is Social Media?
Duties of a Social Mediaist
I am not sure there is a pure definition of what a social mediaist does since many times it depends on the market or industry the person is in which would determine the actions they take. Many times the person’s mission will also determine how they go about socializing with others online and offline.
Primarily a social mediaist goes about socializing with people in and outside the market of interest. This is done both online and offline. Online, the social mediaist will reach out to the everyday people in a social network to develop a following. The offline component works to enhance the online following by connecting with people offline who have an online presence. The offline conversations are shared with the online community providing a greater value to the social mediaist existence in both arenas.
A social mediaist will monitor their digital footprint constantly and use the tools developed to stay in touch with conversations associated to their field of interests. They move fluidly form one social network to another and morph their conversations to meet the network’s culture.
Social mediaist are able to read a person’s personality both from face to face meetings as well as how they express themselves in the online social space. A mediaist able to be reflect a sense of humor as well as a tremendous seriousness, compassion or concern towards someone, sometimes within the same conversation.
It is in the quality of socializing that generates the value the social mediaist offers their clients. A social mediaist is very conscious of their image and learns quickly how to walk away from situations and conversations that lead to negative or overly controversial endeavors. A true social mediaist promotes themselves through encouraging conversation more than being tempted to overly expose a product or service. Plus, social mediaist stay focused by abiding by the cardinal rules of social networking which are to not speaking on political or religious issues no matter how tempting.
Social Mediaist vs Marketer
Social Mediaist are effective marketers. However there is a difference in a social mediaist and a direct marketer.
A social mediaist will take great pains in communicating effectively in a social manor where as a marketer is more blatant in their efforts by avoiding any social implications and push viewers to only paying attention directly to their product. A social mediaist has adapted to the changes made in marketing by accepting the advantages a conversation will produce in the open forum of a social network . A marketer usually has not adapted to the change in marketing and uses old school billboard method of promoting their product to the same open forum.
The main difference between a social mediaist and a direct marketer is the social mediaist is more trustworthy than the marketer. This is why social mediaist are of more value to a business than someone just pumping out dribble online.
Social Media Reaches Mainstream
Though social media is not yet embraced by every business, those who have adapted to the new ways of promoting business through effective social networking are rapidly taking their share of the market. Those businesses who use social media and hire the new social media craftsmen and craftswomen to represent them are the businesses attracting the savvy consumers.
Hopefully, my definition of social mediaist will help more people understand what they are doing and how they should be using social media if they truly are interested in promoting their efforts through social networking.
Let me know how I can help.
