In the most recent attempt to create a fake profession, social media “experts” are becoming something “every business needs”. Unsurprisingly, you generally hear such claims via some form of social media. Now I am not bashing social media use. In fact, every single small business should embrace it because of the cost effective and efficient means of reaching out to and communicating with current and potential customers. However, one does not need to hire an “expert” at a premium. Anyone born after 1980 probably grew up with the rise of the internet and is as well-equipped as anyone else. If anything all you need is a marketing expert who is aware of how to use social tools like Twitter and Facebook. Here is Business Insider though with their take  on why you need an “expert”, “On July 1, 2012 on this very site, Matthew Bellows talked about the importance of e-mail as a tool for converting warm sales leads. He noted that while social media is important, it is ultimately e-mail that will drive sales.

It’s a good point, and thus a worthwhile read for any marketer or salesperson operating in the world of business today.  It does not, however, change the fact that social media is a vitally important piece of your strategy. For sales, e-mail may remain the most critical wrench in your business toolbox, but your specialized tools for social media can reach a different crowd entirely. Many of your customers lean heavily on their mobile devices and their electronics to keep them connected to the world, and are increasingly savvy about sales messaging. They don’t want to be sold to so much as they want to be talked to, to have someone carry on a conversation that just so happens to be about your business philosophy and products…”