Alert. Rant ahead. Proceed with caution.
Do you employ a Social Media Manager at your office? Congratulations. You have someone that should understand how to use social media to further your mission online.
Do you call said Social Media Manager a “Guru”, “Ninja” or even (gasp) a “Maven”? Stop the madness.
A few truths
Regardless of what my nerdy husband would like to think, this is not feudal Japan and I am not a hired assassin. Unless you are actually in India and offering up a dogma by which others should live life, you are not a guru. Social media professionals are professional because the get paid to help people manage social media presences and write social media strategy. So, I implore you HR teams across America trying to be cute, stop using the terms “ninja” “guru”. Dear god, please do not use the term “maven” to describe me or my female colleagues. It’s uncool and slightly offensive.
This is a love guru.
Beware of the title
Posting a job description for one of the aforementioned titles may actually get you a dude in a costume. In fact, if I felt like I could get away with it, I might just show up in costume for interviews to see what the HR teams say. Your titles are a reflection of your company. IF you want to convey that it is a fun, flexible working environment then put that in the description and not by the title. Posting a job description for a “ninja” will make your company look like they do not know the digital landscape. This could be the case and that is okay too, but I suggest the following titles to elevate yourself and your organization:
- Online Marketing Professionals
- Social Media Strategists
- Digital Marketing Professional
Are you looking to hire for a junior level position? Title the role with “online marketing specialist” or “associate”. Place an add for a “online marketing professional” and you just might raise the caliber of your applicant pool.
Not sure what you need? Take a look at my presentation about how to hire a social media professional. Yes, I get that I may be a hypocrite because I call myself a social llama. It is a metaphor for the kinds of people you should seek to run your social presences. No one needs a social ninja, but everyone needs a Social Llama.
