A couple of great posts have prompted me to make one final post on the latest social media and PR kerfuffle.
First of all the ever wise Tom Murphy brings a dose of reality and common sense by saying “Now that’s a very big tea cup…“. And Shel Holtz points out that “Stowe notes he’s been invited to speak on the impact of social media on PR. I’ve been invited to speak on the impact of social media on healthcare, but it doesn’t make me a healthcare expert.”
Quite. In the last year I’ve spoken or provided training on social media and PR to a wide range of sectors – none of which I’m an expert in. I talk about communications and PR in relation to social media. That’s what I know. I’m not an expert in defence, the arts, computing, universities, financial services, politics, healthcare, government or the motor industry – to name just some of the sectors I’ve spoken to or trained.
I also say I’m not an expert in social media, despite having spoken at conferences and trained senior managers in all those sectors. In fact I have a pretty low opinion of those who claim to be social media experts. It’s all too new and changing too quickly.
I do think I know more than most PR people (especially in the UK), but that still doesn’t make me an expert. I’m always learning.
