I posed this question on another site and got some great responses. But my thinking goes like this... I'm reading a lot of the same things on a lot of different sites when it comes to the art of marketing or branding through social media. Which leads me to think.."Are there that many experts out there"? Or are there that many people out there repeating what they are reading and trying to pass themselves off as SM experts? I don't know.
Case in point, I've read numerous times about how SM users can sniff out a marketer or a disingenuous user from the get go. It's true, I know it because I've seen it happen. I've seen evidence of the intrusive marketing message and the sly attempts, and in both and all cases, it was painfully obvious what was occurring. But sometimes I wonder where some of the experts or authorities are getting their facts and their notions on what works and what doesn't. I get the feeling they are passing info along.
I'm ranting and I know it. But wow, sometimes it can be overwhelming. I love reading and learning about the marvels of SM and it's effect that it is having on marketers and users alike, but geez, If I decided to listen to all of the voices of authority or purported authority out there, I'd soon get the feeling of trying to listen to each and every person situated in a SRO arena.