Skip to main content

Are you an expert? Open your hands.

Are you willing to show how you do what you do? Are you willing to open your hands and show all your tools of your trade, from hootsuite to canva to allthefreestock?

Last week, a discussion ran across my stream that a boss had asked to see a social media marketer do her job. The boss actually asked to spend a day at her side, watching her work. Her response was fear, and so many others supported her, saying her job was threatened and the boss would take over the social media. One respondent actually said, once the boss knows how easy your job is, he/ she will stop paying you. What?!?

My response? Say yes. If you're an expert, open your hands and show the experience and skill they're getting every day.

Job security is a myth

The fear: you'll be replaced when the boss sees how easy your job is. Let's be honest: if you're taking hours a day to do something the boss could do in a quarter of the time and demanding a premium salary, you should be replaced. His or her ignorance should not be the only thing that enables you to remain employed.

In social media marketing, some differentiators are

  • timing & scheduling
  • tools
  • analytics-based content
  • marketplace knowledge
  • buyer profiles
  • graphic design
  • compelling writing
Your persona is also an irreplaceable asset. Are you undervaluing your skill set, or do you need to improve post-haste? In an era of Coursera, there is no reason for you to fall behind. Check out Klout if you're not sure where you stand. 

Integrity is a must

Do you work with integrity? If you're a freelancer and you're charging $100/hr, are you working every minute of that hour for your client? If you work in the office, are you actually working when you're in the office, or are you checking your Facebook calendar to see what your daughter's cheer team is doing this weekend?

You would be amazed at the amount you can get done for a client once you truly focus on the business for the time you have committed to.

One of the respondents to the previous discussion said they should take the boss on a ride to Target, Starbuck's and the gas station because that's all part of the creative process. Nope. While I agree that rumination and thought are part of the creative process, clients should not be billed for your deep thoughts while you grocery shop. Work with integrity, no matter where you are.

Teachers are masters of their craft

"If you can't do, teach." This adage has led to two outcomes: an underestimated teaching profession, and a education system that serves as a hideout for those who are not ready to fully engage in their careers. Teachers are both the best and worst at what they do, and you don't know from which camp they come until you see them teach and see them work. However, the best teachers are passionate about the material they are teaching. 

Teachers are masters of their craft. 

If you can teach your boss, your friend, your intern how to do what you do, you may be training your replacement, but you are also mastering your craft and improving your skill set with every lesson. You'll be even better if this job ends and the next rolls around. 

If you're an expert, teach with open hands. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Social Media Starting Kit (Part 1): Establishing Your Brand

Businesses, the best businesses, are the response to a problem. And, the entrepreneur's encounter with this problem and creative response is the story. Problem: Children without shoes Response: Tom's  Problem: Unhealthy hair Response: Monat Problem: Children with a lacking education after public school term Response: Classical Conversations Your business tells a story. Its formation, website, branding, and sales style are all a part of that story. But, in a world of billions, how do you ensure that story is being heard? The answer is social media. And, when a story is spread on social media, you have magnified your audience and increased the likelihood of your business' success.  But, how do you engage in social media? A business owner does not have time for rabbit holes, education in social media best practices (which are constantly changing), or endless likes, follows and unfollows, tweets and moments.  Entrepreneur's Social Media St
Post a Comment
Read more

Storytelling is an Essential Component of Social Media

In 60 seconds, there are 3.3 million Facebook posts, 448,800 tweets, 65,972 Instagram photos uploaded. In 60 seconds. Every hour. Every day. Amid all the noise, how do you ensure your blogposts, your Facebook videos and your Instagram Stories are read and shared by the right audiences? Two elements are essential: list building and storytelling. Article Highlights ·        AI makes list building easier ·        Storytelling is a trend in 2018 ·        Business leaders must participate in their stories Software makes list building easier As social media continues to climb in popularity and profitability, more tools emerge to manage and accelerate it. These tools make list building easier. You can find influencers, join in at-the-minute conversations, and follow new users daily to become part of their conversations. How many users varies with the network, but it’s likely more than you think. Twitter, for example, will allow you to follow up to 1,000 new u
Post a Comment
Read more

Instagram: Thank you for scheduled posts...and reposts!

After extensive changes that make marketing through Facebook even more difficul t , Instagram marketing and posting (which is also owned by Facebook) is becoming easier. If you use Buffer , Hootsuite , Soci , or any other social media management tool, you #instalife just got easier. Now, instead of posting from your phone to Instagram, you simply schedule and the post becomes live at the preset time, like all other social networks. How does this help you tell your story? We all, as business owners and entrepreneurs, have a story to tell. Instagram allows us to tell it visually, and to reach audiences unavailable on other social networks. With every post, we create a visual storyboard that reaches an increasingly attention-starved world. When you can project your message, your story in seconds, you magnify your reach. How do you tell your story on Instagram? Clarity in your profile, an Instagram aesthetic, tagging and distilled images are the key. My favorite Instagram examp
Post a Comment
Read more