Anyone who’s worked in social media has been called a social media guru or wizard at some point in their career. And while on the surface those terms sound complimentary, the reality is they can be more harmful than helpful. .
Think of it this way. If your director of sales closes a deal, you would never chalk it up to the sales guy being a ninja. Even if a salesperson was called a wizard in passing, there is no mystery as to what someone in sales actually does or how they do their job.
But a social marketer might be referred to as a guru or their work attributed to magic, particularly when the person giving the compliment isn’t sure why a social campaign performed so well. Not only is this discouraging for social marketers to hear, it can also reveal a marketing leader’s knowledge (or lack thereof) about social marketing. What you might mean as a compliment can come across as a sign that you’re not entirely confident what a social marketer’s job entails or the skills that they employ day to day.
When a company lists that they are seeking a "Social Media Guru" you immediately know they don't know shit about social media.
— Adrián Molina® (@theadrianmolina) January 22, 2014
