Steve Goldner

I don't have to tell you how the word "expert" is just a tad over used. You are probably cynical about social media experts without any help from me, but putting the snarky comments and jabs aside, let's talk about this seriously as I have some important points of considerations for you.An expert is someone that has mastered a topic and/or specialty. So while the world of social media continues to evolve, how can one accomplish mastery of something that isn't done evolving?

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to address a number of CEOs and senior executives at a weekend retreat (The Executive Forum) at IBM's Armonk, NY campus. I shared with them "The State of Social Media," but the presentation could have easily been titled, "What Senior Executives Should Know About Social Media." Clearly, the latter was my intent.

When social media first came onto the scene, many people said, "Oh, it's just a passing fad - the soup du jour." Now, though, just about everyone is on the bandwagon, but that doesn't mean people really understand social media marketing and how to go about it. Social media can be simplified and demystified by looking back at some traditional approaches to marketing.

Earthquake in Haiti. Michael Jackson died. Social media the new buzz for business. Have you heard about these? Or do you currently reside under a rock? Okay, these things don't share the same importance, but there was no avoiding these news items in the past year or so. Given my better known name, Social Steve, I guess it is pretty obvious which one of these headlines I'll be looking at here.