For most of last year, as Social Media has gained ground both in ease of use and earning Return on Investment (ROI) for businesses, many disparagers and cynics have popped up as well. Because so many people have claimed to be social media experts, there is a line of skepticism that says, “How can so many people be ‘experts’ in this field? Some of them must be scamming us!” Some consumers have been looking at Social Media Marketing this way.
But Jay Baer at Convince&Convert says this is not a valid viewpoint. There may be many social media consultants and agencies out there, he says, but that doesn’t mean they are phonies. In fact, Baer reasons that there may be plenty of 
less professional consultants trying to gain employment in social media, but that doesn’t mean they are trying to swindle anyone or fake something. It only means they are less qualified as social media professionals, and this happens in any industry. Hating on Social Media marketers and agencies won’t make them go away. However, “people that aren’t very good at social media consulting won’t be successful, and that will generate more (not less) business for those who are effective providers of social media ideas and counsel,” concludes Baer.
Consumers are becoming more open to the idea of social media advertisements, also. A recent series of surveys at Dynamic Logic reveals users’ attitudes toward advertising on various media. The results are as follows:
- Opt-in email: 32%
- Online: 24%
- Online search: 24%
- Social media/networking: 22%
- Online video: 22%
- Advergames: 17%
- Non-opt-in email: 8%
Do consumers really hate social media marketing and consultants? Or are we starting to see more openness in receiving SMM?
