How hard can this social media stuff be? I’m a ninja
In the social media space everyone is trying to skim some green off the cash cow. Whether it is a $47 webinar, a company running a Twitter exclusive sale or someone charging local businesses to set up a fan page on Facebook, everyone seems to be getting in on the action.
For the most part, I have no problem with it and make my share of money working within the social media space. So while I am all for commerce, I do take offense when people are selling a useless bill of goods.
The latest in this line of offenders is PR News. Last week, PR News announced that they are offering a “Certificate in Social Media”. According to their press release, “you’ll become a PR News Digital Master!” after attending just four of their conferences.
Anyone see anything wrong with that?
I do. Not only is the PR industry one that lacks regulation, but PR News holds no industry credibility outside the PR space for anyone looking to practice social media. At least some of the past cash-grab social media training courses are with college or universities.
At the end of the day, stunts like this (Read: cash grab) are only going to hurt the PR industry moving forward. Businesses are looking for individuals who can manage their social presence and tie it back to
core business areas, not someone who attended four PR News Conferences.
I would completely ignore this certification if I saw it on a resume. Perhaps the courses themselves are worthwhile, but the certification is worthless unless/until it’s endorsed by the industry at large.
So taking a page from the 80’s anti-drug ads:
Friends don’t let friends take fake certification classes
So please don’t. If you are serious about getting into the space get out there and learn as you go while tying your work back to a business value.
And to the PR News if you want to start some kind of certification, start in the PR space instead of going social. Otherwise you’re just adding another bad pitch to the pool.
@PRNicoleV awful is what it is
@jeffespo I agree! You don’t need a certification in social media — you need EXPERIENCE & a general communications skill set/background.
@PRNicoleV but hey buy tickets to 4 of our conferences and you are an expert, certified by PR News
Well said, sir. I really think that none of the players currently serving the sector are right to do this, outside of maybe WOMA. I don’t think PR should be the sole side of the house offering this either.
Brilliant. Well-stated.
Wait a minute – all the gurus are charging $47 for webinars, and they clearly know what it’s all about.
So, I posit to you, sir, where’s your premium webinar certification?? 🙂
I answer to my company on that one and how much $ we make in the space. I am pretty sure a certification would be useless at this point.
[…] Social Media Certification Programs Are Worthless June 19, 2012 By Erik Deckers Leave a Comment Don't spend your money on social media certification programsJeff Espo wrote a great post on why you shouldn’t fall for bullshit social media certifications. […]
It reminds me of lots of different “tricks” people use to try and establish themselves as an authority on a particular topic/subject.
Every now and then I think about creating some sort of “badge” that I could award bloggers. For example it might be called “The Badge” and only be given to the most interesting and educational bloggers around.
I wonder what would happen if I gave it out to 25 recipients. Would they put it on their blogs?
Part of me is convinced that we aren’t any different than the Sneetches and that this could take off. Get a few people promoting this and suddenly…
@PRNicoleV but hey buy tickets to 4 of our conferences and you are an expert, certified by PR News
@jeffespo Good post, Jeff.
@geoffliving TY sir. And to think I used to think $47 was a rip off… these guys shoot for the moon
@jeffespo I don’t think I quite get what you’re saying, stop sugar coating it for me 😉 Seriously tho, hell of a post! http://t.co/qjMhIevc
@desertronin hell pay a couple hundred $ so that you can get certified on SM by the PR industry
@jeffespo Darn… what can I get for four Honeycomb boxtops?
@desertronin a hug
@jeffespo Just checking out the PR News conference for this week ($1300) – 4 conference for “certification” = about $5K. #nofreakingway
@desertronin yeah about that…
@RTRViews TY sir
@jeffespo My absolute pleasure to share that one! Loved it.
@AmyVernon @RTRViews Thanks much for sharing http://t.co/EsZG8UDq
@davidsvet thanks sir
@DannyBrown TY sir… I won’t hold it against you that you attended the classes 😉
@DannyBrown @jeffespo I couldn’t believe it until I’ve read it. People will try to monetize everything…
@nathandim @dannybrown and imagine we all thought $47 was a lot of money for a webinar on G+
@jeffespo Bite me. 🙂
@DannyBrown that’s what she said 🙂
@nathandim @jeffespo I recall seeing SM Certification courses last year for *cough* $12,000….
@DannyBrown @nathandim this one is like $5K and in PR sense. I have seen ones at colleges close to 7-10K but its from a respected college
@DannyBrown @jeffespo maaaa
@somcbride so you’d pay 5K for a class/conferences instead of learning while doing and picking relevant case studies?
@lizscherer TY
@DenVan wait does that mean I have to pay YOU again?
@jeffespo no, not saying that at all. saying classes can be worthwhile. to get your real “certification” is putting it into practice.
@jeffespo i learn everything on my own, but go to a class/conference allows you to hear from experts their case studies and best practices.
@somcbride See I agree with that but having a veiled certification program to milk you for $ is well ….
@jeffespo agreed. no such thing as certification in the social media field and it shouldn’t be pushed. but learning in general can be useful
@somcbride especially from a PR publication, which is an industry that probably needs some certification
@jeffespo yes, should establish a legit certification in PR before pushing fake certifications in PR sub-specialties.
@somcbride but see it also keeps the bullshit argument of who should own social going, thus blocking progress overall
@jeffespo maybe. but i will say that their overall intent is more to market their classes than them truly believing in a real certification.
@somcbride call a spade a spade, but a clip art certification is bullshit. Market the conferences like everyone else does
@somcbride both @SXSW and @blogworld have more info for social media than a PR-heavy event and don’t claim certifications
@jeffespo true. no argument. i agree don’t claim you will be certified after attending non-regulated classes. goes for any industry.
@somcbride thanks for the nice spirited chat sir and for peeping article. at the end of the day everyone grabs at the $
@jeffespo yep, i think that is the lesson from all of this. nice chat with you too. keep the articles coming.
@somcbride Will try to
@John_Trader1 TY sir
@PRCog TY sir.
@jeffespo de nada