05 Apr Experts, Gurus, God Fathers, do they really exist in Social Media?
Everyone has the opportunity to be excellent in his or her fields, in the social space this is even more amplified due to the explosion of social media and it’s limited barriers to entry. When one starts trying to pinpoint those who climbed to the top faster then others there is a tendency to neglect those who have equally tried as hard (in the social space, that could be as simple as a matter of opinion). This has become increasingly prevalent in social media, which begs the question who truly stands out as an expert, Guru, or Godfather and do they really exist?
In the social media space, a few legitimate people stand out; including Seth Godin and Robert Scoble. These two men have reached cult like status amongst the socially savvy and for good reason. They stand out because they are the ones who were first to mark their territory at the metaphorical fire hydrant. They are smart people who had a few great ideas that regain traction as new waves of people discover social media. They are the first discovered and quoted amongst most in social media.
Though, and most recently, there has been this increasing backlash towards people calling themselves experts. This goes back to the idea of first to the fire hydrant. Everyone wants to claim their stake and be the ones who are groundbreaking. Yet all that gets done is the regurgitation of few key ideas. That’s great but how can one become an expert if no new ideas are generated? Scoble Says “Every institution is already changed. All the rest is the tedious process of mopping up along a very long tail.” That notion can be easily challenged as new ideas like game layers (Seth Priebatsch) and psychological design (Jared Spool) are further emphasized.
So the question begs: how can the pieces be realigned to generate fresh ideas and disrupt the status quo?
The first thing that needs to be done is to stop frowning upon those who are thought leaders and embrace that the groundwork that they have laid is really important. Sure – critic new ideas and methods, but do so from an open mind.
Next, start thinking of fresh ideas, stop trying to fit within a mold and find a different path. Think of ways you can change the way things are done, like make a process simpler, or challenge the status quo and just go out and do them! This is the only way to innovate – to think outside the box – to make the square peg fit in the round hole.
Doing so will give rise to new thought leaders and ‘Godfathers’.
When it’s all said and done, experts God fathers and Gurus do exist because they took the chance on being revolutionary. So stop wasting and start changing how we communicate.
How would you change the social media space?
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