Jul 12
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Should Social Media Strategists Need Certification?
Marietje Schaake @ State of Social Media Summit (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I spend a majority of my day utilizing different social media related tools, platforms, and news. My job is the role of a consultant for clients looking to build an online presence, engage with customers and stakeholders, etc. Recently, I’ve been working with two separate clients with ve
ry different strategies regarding social media. While conducting research, I noticed there was an influx in certification programs being offered for social media consultants. Here are a few examples:
- Develop and Implement an Integrative Approach to Social Media from the IABC
- Social Media and New Media PR Bootcamps offered by the PRSA
- Social Media Week will start social media courses and accreditation in 2013
In a recent article from SpinSucks, guest writer Martin Waxman discusses the issue at hand.
In social media, anyone can try the platforms, learn enough to be dangerous and, with a few clicks, become a video producer, community manager, content curator, published writer, or any combination of the above. [...] But as social media moves into the mainstream, a more formalized type of social media education is beginning to emerge; one that provides instruction in a classroom setting and grants accreditation, certificates, or degrees.
According to Mr. Waxman, social media has been mainly a DIY education process. We learn as we go and gain our knowledge through participating instead of learning in a more academic process. In my personal experience, that’s how I learned the best practices and platforms offered through social media.
The questions I pose to you are whether being certified in social media makes a difference. Would you hire a certified consultant over a non-certified one? Does having certification suggest an expertise? If you’re a social media consultant/strategist, would you get certified?
Related articles
Top 10 Reasons Why Social Media Should Be Part Of Every Business…(prweb.com)
Institute Develops the First Standards for Social Media Education(nismonline.org)
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