First of all, why can’t you be considered an expert in the field? Or how about a professional or specialist? Must we take a word from Indian religions? I understand that a Guru is a “teacher” or “master” but it seems as if those who are deemed “Social Media Gurus” are just people with high positions in the social media world. It’s not like they have this secret, unexplainable knowledge that lesser, non-Gurus can only obtain from them. And it’s very ironic that someone can be a Guru in such an inconsistent field as social media.
Aren’t we always told that when it comes to social media marketing “what works now, might not work 12 months from now,” and “be authentic”? Then there’s my personal favorite, “everything is marketing.” So these three quotes already make being a Social Media Guru a daunting, and almost impossible task. It would make sense if you were a Guru in something like finance, a static field that doesn’t change much. But claiming being a master in social media is like saying you’re a master in life.
If “everything is marketing” and you are always living your brand, in everything you do, how can you be a “Guru” in life? There are obvious social rules to follow that not only will make a brand seem great, but also how a person lives his life. That’s not rocket science. Just don’t be a jerk, and you’re brand will, at least, probably be cool enough to check out. Seriously. And if in social media marketing “being authentic” is one of the golden rules, then that is up to the company to be transparent and honest. Businesses don’t need to hear that from a “Guru.”
I get that everything has a process and even something like social media marketing has to be done in some order. But at its essence, you can’t predict what the following months will bring us in the social media realm. I, also, agree that it’s always beneficial to learn from people who know more than you (i.e. “Gurus”) but those people are still just humans with more experience and knowledge than others. There’s nothing supernatural about what they do/know that you can’t learn on your own.