12 Most Reasonable Reasons Social Media Requires Meaningful Job Titles

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Social media is rife with ridiculous social media titles. Don’t take my word for it, read my friend Sam Fiorella’s post, 12 Most Ridiculous Job Titles in Social Media. (Don’t worry I’ll wait while you read his post.)

It’s as if companies feel that to show they’re part of the social media ecosphere, they must give their employees dedicated to social media the leeway to create their own job description. This is akin to a rite of passage where the subtext is if you can create the coolest, most out there title, you’ll get the job. But the reality is that these ridiculous titles are on a par with hiring a college student to handle your social media.

While your employees might think that it’s cool to exchange business cards with weird titles in their favorite drinking establishment, here are twelve reasons you should use more meaningful titles.

1. Job titles show respect

Think of what The Godfather said about respect. How much respect does the Head of Wasting Time on Facebook get?

2. Job titles are rite of passage

While I appreciate that a cool title can make an employee feel good about their job with a small or no raise, it sugar coats the fact that you want to look like you’re doing something special when you both know the truth!

3. Job titles are a negotiating point

Giving a prospective employee a special title is one way to enhance the offer without additional money.

4. Job titles imply salary range

Your title sounds important but what’s in your paycheck?

5. Job titles make a branding statement

What level of professionalism does your business show when your employees distribute business cards and emails with crazy titles?

6. Job titles shed light on your business

While some businesses go overboard with three line titles that don’t mean anything outside of your division or organization, off beat titles show you’re current with the latest trend but not necessarily serious about social media.

7. Job titles show you’re part of the team

A funny social media oriented titles is a neon sign that you’re not a team player

8. Job titles support employee effectiveness outside of your organization

Conventional titles help your staff deal with suppliers, agencies and customers. You don’t want these constituents to think, “Who the heck is he?”

9. Job titles show collaboration

Social media needs to be integrated across your organization. Having a title that stands out hinders the employee’s ability to fit in.

10. Job titles represent standing within the organization

Where does social media fit in your company’s organization? An unconventional title implies the employee is outside of the organization like an orphan.

11. Job titles imply senior management buy-in

A state-of-the-art social media title underscores that your management team doesn’t really buy into social media. If it did, the title would show respect.

12. Job titles represent authority

Traditionally, titles were associated with budget and decision-making. How do you expect an employee to engage with outside vendors without any perceived power? Don’t get me wrong — there are times that changing employee’s titles can be useful to your organization. Social media isn’t one of them. Doing so just undermines your social media marketing efforts and detracts from your business.

What’s your perspective regarding social media titles? Do you think that they’re effective? Would you want to have one?

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Featured image courtesy of by KEXINO via Creative Commons.

Heidi Cohen

http://www.heidicohen.com

Heidi Cohen is president of Riverside Marketing Strategies, an interactive marketing consultancy. Over the course of her career, Heidi has acquired deep experience in integrated, direct, digital, social media and content marketing across diverse product categories. Heidi Cohen simplifies the complex concepts behind today's evolving marketing challenges. Since 2002, Heidi has taught marketing at a variety of universities at the graduate level including New York University, where she received the university's Outstanding Service award, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey and CUNY-Hunter College. In addition, Heidi develops and delivers corporate training. Heidi blogs at HeidiCohen.com, a top ranked marketing and content blog. Her blog was short listed for Social Media Examiner's Top Social Media Blogs of 2012 (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/finalists-top-10-social-media-blogs-2012/) . Heidi was named to the Nifty Fifty Women on Twitter and Top Marketing Professors on Twitter (http://www.smmmagazine.com/exclusives/top-marketing-professors-on-twitter/)