It's Like Rain On Your Wedding Day...

A free ride when you've already paid. Oh, how 'bout this one? The marketing world is booming with new consultants emerging under the guise of "social media expertise." Okay, it doesn't roll off the tongue with the grace of Alanis, but it's ironic nonetheless.

It's been discussed ad nauseam, and I don't intend to start at the beginning, but as we get deeper and deeper into the application of this new media, "it's subjective" isn't going to be a sustainable justification for consultants in the space. Do you think that Pepsi's Refresh Project that has sucked millions from traditional media (including a removal from the Super Bowl for the first time in 23 years) is hedging its bet on subjectivity? The irony is that the same trend that's brought about the over-saturation in the consultant market also happens to require an incredibly specialized skillset. (full disclosure: this is not a combination of skills that I claim to have) It goes without saying, but simply posting pictures and funny quotes isn't going to continue to cut it for major brands who are prepared to add this new medium (and ad spend) to their media tool belt. Pepsi needs teams of folks with years of experience, development and innovation in marketing and sociology. I'm not just talking about cultural awareness.

With the emergence of the trend, many of us have been able to get by with little more than the knowledge of how we build our own assortment of Facebook friends. It won't continue to be that simple. I hate to use the same big word twice in one post, but the web is already over-saturated... it's a PACKED house. Imagine 10 years ago, when you were placing your newspaper ads, being told that your ad would be placed in one out of every 100,000 newspapers. You'd be forced to hope that the right influencers stumble across your ad. That's what we're faced with now. Good news: Every brand now has the ability to become sticky. Bad news: Casting out a net is going to have an alarming failure rate. To utilize this media, pierce through the clutter and make it work for your brand or your client's brand, the following are non-negotiable:

1. Great content. Text, video, photos... whatever. This is the primary piece of our business that isn't changing. If it's "remarkable", stealing a line from Seth Godin, people will listen and they'll talk about it.
2. A tested understanding of community dynamics. This goes back to sociology. Now, more than ever, we have to have brilliant people in the mix that understand people and how they interact with each other. This is a science.
3. Digital marketing expertise. You've gotta know the tools that are available. You don't have to develop them yourself as so many now believe they do, but you have to be aware of what's out there and have the discernment to know what works the best for your business problem. And as is the case across the board, you're not off the hook with all of the research you had to do before this new media arrived – understand the business, know the competition and know your audience. It's a no-brainer but still worth stating.

These are the requirements and what every brand is (or will be) looking for in a consultant. Utilizing rational thought, one would think this would scare away more prospective consultants than it would attract. Give it time. The message? It's time for all of us to up our game and build the right team. In the next couple of years, I'll be surprised to continue seeing so many black flies in our chardonnay.