But there's a catch. There's always a catch.
That's me, circa 2001. This--according to the authors of today--is apparently when I was most qualified for my current job. Teenagers, they say, are the way of the future. Teenagers, they say, know all there is to know about social media. Your niece or nephew is probably walking around with a smart phone attached to his or her hand right now, thinking, "Gee wiz, I'd love to work for you, Uncle Ted! I know all about how to digitally market your company because I just looove Facebook and Twitter!"
..........I don't think so.
In case you've missed the subtext behind this post, there seems to be a small but consistent consensus that the job of social media marketer (or strategist) can and should be done by a local teenager. Cheap child labor and infinite enthusiasm--what a combo!
So what's a college grad to make of this situation?
My first thought was, They can't be serious. Are we really suggesting that small businesses hire middle-schoolers to head their marketing strategies? The only people who could possibly follow this advice are those who ask questions like, "Whats all this fuss about The Google?" and "How do I get on The Twitter?"
What have we learned today? Not only do I have to prove myself more more worthy than older, more experienced job candidates, I now have to battle it out with teenyboppers. Oy.
good posting, i found you via #BayAreaAVtweetup and have one observation to make. what i find about younger people and their views on "new media" (i am a positively ancient 44) is that there is tremendous excitement about new media, but little effective measurable execution. i have marketing and PR folks that are oh so enthusiastic about these tools... but when the rubber hits the road, there is very little that is actually done. and when i ask why, i am given rather nebulous answers. so the big difference i think is the fact that as one gets a little older, hopefully they see the importance of substance, and measurable results.
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I like to think that my results are measurable, but your argument is one I have heard in the past, and it's definitely valid in many cases. I do think that many people are still learning how social media can benefit their business, and I hope to provide more specific answers to this question as I gain experience in the field. Thanks for reading, and for your feedback!
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