What Does it Take to be a “Top 10″ Social Media Speaker?
I’m not going to hash and rehash the controversy around the TSG all-male list of speakers on social media, or the O’Reilly Web 2.0 Summit conflagration about the same issue not long before that, or… well, you get the picture. The absence of women on podiums in proportionate numbers has been an issue for quite some time. [Click on that last link. Srsly.]
What I want to know is – what does it take to get on these lists, and what can we, as women in tech, do differently to get there? Clearly there’s something going on.
I think part of the problem is many of us suck at two things: valuing our skills and engaging in healthy self-promotion. There may be a good reason for the latter, which is what I want to focus on: when it comes to social media in particular, self-promotion so frequently trumps actual accomplishments that we have a saucy little word for it – douchebaggery. No one wants to be seen as a douchebag (except for the douchebags, and that’s because they don’t know any better).
So, let’s say you want to be on The List. What does it take to be a Top 10 Social Media Speaker? In my humble opinion, the following are tablestakes:
1. Demonstrated thought leadership. You write original stuff that other people link to, quote and share. You’re so far ahead of the game, you’re defining the space.
2. Blue-chip client list. Who are your clients? What did you do for them? For how long? Who else are your clients? (i.e. one big client does not a real business make).
3. Results. Third-party, independently validated reports that demonstrate the value and impact of the work you have conducted. Prove that you moved the needle for a client. Having awesome testimonials is also great.
4. Speaking experience. I’d like to see that you’ve spoken to business groups and your peers about social media, at national conferences that are highly respected. Case studies are A++.
5. Press. If you’re the real deal, you should have attracted lots of press attention by now.
Are we in agreement that this is a fairly comprehensive itemization of the basic things that need to be in place for one to be considered for such a list? That a person demonstrating all of the above should definitely be recognized as a leader in their space, and included on such or similar lists?
Good. I thought so.
So here’s the punchline: I meet all of those criteria. (Check out the links for yourself).
How is it that lists are produced, identifying top social media speakers and… I’m not on them? Clearly, I need to get better at healthy self-promotion, because I refuse to believe anyone would be so stupid as to not consider me because I’m a girl.
How can change this? Your chosen hashtag is a start. Let’s start our own list?
by Natasha Netschay Davies
on 07. Aug, 2009
Maggie, you are a master at creating and promoting brands by leveraging the Social Web. Your key has always been uniqueness, not the ssdd (same s**t, different day).
Absolutely, you and others like you, male and female, meet all those criteria to be a “top 10 Social Media Speaker”. So what! That just makes you (and them) the same as all the rest.
You’ve built an industry leading company by forging new paths for your clients (and an entire industry). IMHO, you may want to consider forging one for yourself. Self Promotion is not the first step. Determining what to promote and how to deliver it in a way that makes you unique is (you, the product). From there, come up with a style that creates excitement, fun and provokes thought leading challenges for your audiences, just like you do for and with your clients every day. Then and only then will you have something to promote that will gain the attention you desire.
Perhaps third party assistance might help. It might be difficult seeing your forest through your trees. Avoid being the cobbler with no shoes for her family.
by A "Nobody"
on 07. Aug, 2009
Great post; great question. I think a lot of us meet that criteria – are we facing another “good ole’ boys club” issue in social media? And if so, how in the world did we let that happen? Are we less willing to travel? Do we have “home guilt” that men just don’t grapple with? Are we not invited? Do we need to create our own lists?
I’m not sure of the answers but I believe that creating powerful women-led groups like the one you have here is a good start. You’ve got some fantastic women leaders on board – congratulations. I hope you continue to raise important questions and help us all to embrace not only self-promotion but promotion of each other and support for each other’s accomplishments and goals. Maybe men are better at not only self-promotion but promoting each other and patting each other on the back… ?
Thanks for raising a great debate.
As an aside, someone recently pointed out to me that while it was great that I was included in the CEOs who Twitter list from BusinessWeek, it was a bit lopsided … with only six women out of 50 CEOs listed. http://bit.ly/peioG
But is this really a surprise when the number of top 500 companies with women CEOs is…. 15? Or when only 15.7% of corporate officers within those companies are women? Oh, and by the way – women’s pay is still not equal – just 80.5% of men’s in 2009. So yes, we’ve come a long way, baby – but we still have far to go!
Thanks,
Christine Perkett
PerkettPR
http://www.twitter.com/missusP
http://www.twitter.com/PerkettPR
http://www.twitter.com/perkettprsuasion
Groups like this one are
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What a great posting. I’m waddling into the social territory now and find there’s also different perceptions of what constitutes status. To the older generation my Gen X use of social media is mind boggling. A Gen Y/Z teenager who’s developed a much stronger base and knows how to organize them for specific events would, nonetheless, outrank me.
by David
on 07. Aug, 2009
You bring-up very good points for women in any industry to take to heart.
by Debbie Friez
on 07. Aug, 2009
Agree with your entire (excellent) post, except for one thing.
Your post assumes that these speakers are working in an agency structure as opposed to working inside corporations.
By that, I mean that your second point “Blue-chip client list” has a point about “(i.e. one big client does not a real business make).”
While I understand what you meant by that bullet (experience across multiple projects, etc.) from personal experience (I work in a large corporation) I have worked with a number of extremely talented women (and men) who work inside large corporations and as a result have only worked for a single large client.
Large corporations don’t always use agencies. They often have some amazing skills in-house. But like I said, those people only have one client.
I understand what you meant, but there are a ton of folks who because of their jobs can only work for a single client (their corporation), but have the type of cross project skillset you mention and perspectives so sharp that that we wouldn’t want to leave them out. Hope that makes sense.
by Noah Kuttler
on 07. Aug, 2009
Hello everyone. Since 2005, Socialtext has been hosting a wiki for Women Speakers. Please feel free to add yourself, or others, and promote it to both speakers and conference organizers.
http://bit.ly/2Qo3Qw
Alan Lepofsky – Socialtext
by Alan Lepofsky
on 07. Aug, 2009
@Noah – thanks for your comment! The criteria really refer to people working on their own – as independent consultants or within an agency. IMHO if you’re working for a big company in social media, you know as much as anyone, and you deserve to have the opportunity to share your experiences!
by Maggie Fox
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This is unfortunate. The online space is dominated by men. I don’t think men think of what it would be like to look at the “thought leaders” in their space only to see that they are all women. Women are the big consumers in society–why do we think that men are the ones who know how to appeal to them?
I don’t have the mojo or clients you do, so if there is anything I can do to help get you on these lists, please let me know.
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