I can definitely go for your explanation of SME being part of a skillset as opposed to an actual title… Something that adds value to whatever else you happen to do, whether that’s marketing, video editing, whatever.

I met a woman last night who didn’t know what tagging was. When I explained it to her, she said something about tagging her page, but that her page had different articles on it. I informed her that what she perceives as a page is a linked list of permalinked posts. After that, she understood that each particular POST needs to have it’s own set of relevant tags.

To HER… I’m a Social Media Expert. My understanding is far enough ahead of hers right now that her company would benefit from taking my advice instead of trying to figure things out themselves. To me, someone who knows the ins and outs of CSS is a SME. Ultimately, it all comes down to whether the person offering the services is HELPING their client move forward faster than they would have without them, or whether they’re just spinning their wheels and wasting the client’s time and money.

Thanks for the comment, Ben.

All of which doesn’t amount to a hill of beans… EXCEPT for the fact that through my trial and error, I’ve amassed knowledge that you don’t have.”

Which make me think that SME isn’t a title….it’s a part of the resume. Specifically, “Social Media Experience:” Bill’s explanation of SME being a relative term is so critical to understanding the backlash against the term. But there is a demand-driven reason for all these “Experts”…businesses recognize opportunity and are willing to pay for knowledge that can improve profits.

Additionally, I think the backlash is because the Social Media Community (redundant) is more insular than we like to think. I like to believe I’ve made all these diverse connections over the world…but all of the experts, wanna-bes, and seasoned professionals are all connected to each other. Here are six thoughts from a post I wrote on why there are so many social media _____(Insert title).

1 – Your network isn’t as diverse as you think
2 – Social Media Is Fun
3 – Easier to Use Technology
4 – Businesses Like Making Money
5 – Businesses Don’t Possess the Necessary Skills
6 – Experts Make More Money Than Noobs

Most importantly…let’s embrace this trend! This rush to “expertise” isn’t a bad thing….technology gets better when there is an economic incentive for businesses to adopt them.