Group: "Hello Giovanni!"
I love these kinds of posts. They are great conversation starters.
Tim Piazza did a little experiment. He searched for "Social Media Expert" on Google and found me at the top of the list. Yea for me! Of course, for Tim this wasn't what he expected or hoped for.
I'll let you read his post here. Tim does not have an issue with me, really. But, he falls into some familiar traps that I call out in my response here. A couple to look for include that I shouldn't be calling myself a "social media expert" and that I "stole the top spot on Google from a-listers." First, read his piece and then come back and read my response.
First, Tim and Chris are both correct - I am a smart and likable guy. If I may add...terribly handsome and super funny. ;-) Hopefully this will be quoted out of context as an example of what a self-absorbed arse I am and not as being a tongue-in-cheek joke intended to start the article off in a light, friendly note.
Seriously, all Tim's points are well taken. But, I have always had a hard time understanding why we in social media are supposed to be ashamed of our status as experts, gurus, et al. Folks, there's a book called "the dictionary." It defines, for you, the meanings of words. It's like magic, but not. Look it up: expert. Better yet, I'll help you as you may not be an "expert" at clicking on a link:
So, the official position of those in the social media police is that they *can't* claim to have a "special skill or knowledge" in social media. Srsly? Rly? Srsly? Then why the HELL are we paying attention to ANYTHING they have to say on the topic? Why would ANYONE hire them to do work in this field or to render advice in relation to it? It's absurd for these people to make this claim and then turn around and offer advice on the same topic. Even more outlandishly, they are projecting their ignorance on the rest of us by
claiming that, as in most cases listed above, NO-ONE can claim to be a
"social media expert." Sorry if I offend, but that's simply stupid.
I've been building search engines and communities (online and offline) for over a decade and I’m proud of the knowledge I’ve acquired along the way. No-one’s going to take that away from me and I’ll do no less than shout it from the mountain tops for all to hear. It seems we (is it okay to call ourselves "practitioners of the social media arts"?) are the only professionals who think that claiming our accomplishments in our field of expertise is a negative.
Could you imagine hiring a mechanic to fix your car because they claimed *not* to be an expert in the model you drive? How about going out on a date and looking for the most "average" meal you could find to impress your companion? Surgery: "Obamacare anyone?", he asked while whacking an online hornet's nest with his mouse. But hey, you kids keep it up! I am happy to take advantage of my industry's collective self-loathing to claim the top spot in Google for a phrase which exactly describes the kind of person my potential client is seeking when they need help with online marketing and public relations on some of the most heavily trafficked sites on the web today. I learned long ago that it's important to market to your potential clients, not your peers.
Tim mentions Brian Solis in his piece - ironically I am working on a project to produce developer camps in seven cities around the world focused on Microsoft's next mobile operating system - http://winmodevcamp.com - and Brian is hosting social events each evening after the camps so the developers can relax after a day of education and development. Brian rocks and has an exciting background in PR. I feel blessed to be hosting events side-by-side with him.
Chris Brogan is good people and an absolute rock star also. He's smart and works tirelessly. Here’s an interview I did with him during a social media campaign for a client: http://viewzi.tv/ Please note at the beginning of this video he says “You’re a good-looking man.” Remember that: Chris Brogan thinks I’m HAWT. (winky, wink towards Boston). To Tim's point on his google search experiment, I have a slide in one of my presentations on social media where I show the screenshot of the Google SERPS for the query "social media expert" with me ranking just above Chris. The caption on the slide reads "Surely I don't deserve to rank above Chris Brogan for 'social media expert' in Google...or do I?"
Peter Shankman is Peter Shankman - nuff said.
Tim mentioned that
"To the established social media pros, the A-list, Giovanni Gallucci
appears to represent everything that they warn people against. Self-proclaimed rock stars, experts, and ninjas do not present the
perfect picture of credibility. There are plenty of articles about what
to look for in your social media expert and what to watch out for, and
it seems that they all caution us about guys who look very much like
Gallucci. He calls himself an expert and a ninja. He alludes to press
coverage but doesn’t show examples."
I put it to you Tim: are there some specific cases you can point out where a social media firm or consultant has sufficient specificity about their clients and their accomplishments so one would be able to have a measuring stick to compare their transparency to mine? I'd argue that if you compare their sites to mine, to my blog and to the presentations I release under creative commons, you'll find more transparency about who I work with, what I do for them and the results of those campaigns than you will on their sites. On my slideshare account, on my blog, flickr and youtube you'll find many examples of my work. On slideshare, every example I use in my presentations are from campaigns I've personally developed and conducted. In most cases, you have people in online marketing and social media talking and blogging about the big, attention-getting social media successes and failures that we see in the press. And in almost all those cases, they had nothing to do with the campaign they are talking about.
If you wanted a second, third or 50th opinion about my credentials, we could ask others what they think of my work. Certainly what others think of me should speak to my credibility in this space.
Regarding another of Tim's points. He rightfully noticed that I make use of SEO. I am always clear with prospects and clients that social media doesn't operate in a bubble. Assuming you can build a personal brand by only using social media is naive. If you disagree, have at it, you'll fail miserably.
It's critical that you understand how to take advantage of multiple marketing, pr and advertising channels to achieve enough brand recognition online to sufficiently drive your business. For instance, Chris Brogan does a great job of also using email marketing/newsletters to keep his personal brand in front of his audience.
A bit about how I get results for clients - I really push the limits of
social media. Take that any way you want to, you'll probably be right
with your conclusion. I don't shy away from my tactics. I have a long
track record in building communities as well as using social media and
social networking platforms to get clients in front of their audience
where ever that may be. I spend lots of time paying attention to the
TOS's on social networks so I know what buttons I can push without
getting burned. I test, test, and test the limits of techniques and
tools in SEO and social media. I spend time watching the behavior of
people and groups on different sites, and study game theory.
photo credit: scott kveton @ barcamp austin 3
I produce live events that bring community together like BarcampAustin [video: barcamp austin 2, barcamp austin 4], preDevCamp, and WinMoDevCamp.org, speak at events, and teach workshops on social media to share my knowledge and force myself to keep the saw sharpened.
I understand that there's a crisis of credibility in our industry. Lawyers never had it so bad. So to the major point of Tim's post, I will make some changes on my site to bring clarity about what I've done for different clients. I will add links to the actual articles where I've been mentioned in the press or where 
I've gotten clients press mentions. In some cases, however, NDA's preclude me from being specific about what I do for some clients. One place Tim can immediately see some press coverage I’m responsible for getting a client via social media is at http://viewzipress.com/ - This website is a "Press 2.0" page of sorts. But I need to get those and other links on my website where I am tooting my horn so there's a more direct connection between my claims and the proof.
Oi - the yard is calling so I must go. “Mow me. MOW ME...” It’s kinda creepy really.
Tim has a great piece and interesting case study about how brands must be vigilant about constantly defining themselves and redefining themselves online. I hope he keeps it up and keeps our feet to the fire!
PS - Tim - I currently hold spots number 11, 12 and 13 on google for "social media ninja." Come give me a run for my money! :-)
