Social Media Strategist or Help Desk?

Jeremiah Owyang published an insightful report on the career path of a social media strategist. He found that after some early success, the social media strategist faces an onslaught of problems that can cause the person to descend into a reactive help-desk list of tasks. He advocates that effective strategists develop a proactive program that gets ahead of the demands and allows them to operate from a strategic planning position.

Owyang identifies several key problems that map closely to the problems I've faced as a marketing director and community manager implementing social media programs. The issues he identifies are the following:

• Resistance from internal culture
• Measuring ROI
• Lack of resources
• Ever changing technology space
• Resentment and envy of the role
• A looming increase in business demands

Of the social media strategists he interviewed 41 percent report to the marketing department. Most of these programs lacked a formalized program with long-term direction. Only 23 percent have the required maturity to overcome these problems.

He recommends these 10 qualities when looking to hire a social media strategist:

• Hire a program manager rather than a social media "hot shot"
• Seek candidates with a track record of early technology adoption
• Scrutinize how they have used social media
• Seek backgrounds that demonstrate ability to manage dotted-line managers
• Look for corporate entrepreneur
  
• Ensure cultural fit, they will tackle change management
• Find a natural born connector
• Celebrate risks, clear obstacles
• Enable them to connect to peers and grow careers
• Protect investment by providing new challenges, compensate well
  

The full report from Jeremiah Owyang at Altimeter Group is found below.

Report: Career Path of the Corporate Social Strategist: Be Proactive or Become Social Media Help Desk

View more documents from Jeremiah Owyang.