I’ve been pretty hard on social media consultants on this blog. So, after reading an interesting article this week in the Iowa Business Record, I decided to put away all those hard feelings, and do a blog post that is supportive of the social media scene in Des Moines.
The article I am referring to is this one, announcing the arrival of a new social media firm: One Social Media. With this addition, Des Moines has almost as many social media firms/consultants as the birthplace of social media: Boston.
Whereas Boston has CC Chapman, Chris Brogan, Chris Penn and others, Des Moines now has Lava Row, One Social Media and Catchfire Media – and others. A lot of others.
What is it about Des Moines that is a breeding ground for so-called Social Media Experts? Is it the corn? Can the city support three social media firms, and countless wannabes who think they have all the answers?
I don’t think so. Something has to give.
But more importantly, I want you to look closely at the comparison above. Notice the names from Boston, then notice the names from Des Moines. See anything… different?
I do.
CC Chapman, Chris Brogan, Chris Penn. Bam Bam Bam. Three powerful names. If you had those names on a conference (which I was lucky enough to meet all three at Podcamp Boston 2) you would have a great event. Period. CC Chapman is presenting at Blogworld this year, I wouldn’t doubt Chris Brogan makes an appearance as well. Chris Penn is one of the co-founders of Podcamp (along with Chris Brogan.) There must be something in the water, besides tea, that makes Boston the hub of social media.
Then there’s Des Moines. With one social media expert per 1,000 population, it remains… stagnant. Full of inbreeding, and mutual pats on the back, its social media leaders stay close to home, giving lectures to college business classes, attending or throwing tweetups (drink-ups) / and meetups on a local scale.
Boston – takes their leadership in social media to a global scale with big conferences, keynotes around the world, writing books and being leaders in the industry.
Des Moines… you get the drill.
But why is this? Why can’t Des Moines with its 3 (at least) social media firms, step up into world-wide recognition and first-class status? The answer is hidden above, but I’ll recap it below in a nice form that can be quoted.
Answer:
The Des Moines social media scene is concerned more with being local leaders than global. They fight with/over each other to be the definitive “expert” while simultaneously patting each other on the back to make themselves feel good. They throw tweetups for the sole purpose of getting wasted (no real networking happens there anymore) and care little about what is really going on in the world around them.
The Boston social media scene thinks globally. They write books. They give keynotes around the world. They go to conferences like SXSW to actually network and not to party. They aren’t trying to one-up each other, they are just trying to move themselves and their businesses forward. If anything else, they are collaborative and supportive of each other. Plus they extend that collaboration to others through their blogs, talks, and books.
Maybe that’s the biggest difference. The Bostonians give back to the social media community, not really looking for their own accolades. While Des Moines experts seem bent on making a name for themselves any way they can.
And they are. I just don’t think it’s the names they want.
What do you think? How can Des Moines hold so many social media “experts” like Boston, but not be known as a hub for social media like Boston is? Is there a Chris Brogan type “expert” in Des Moines ready to break out and actually be a leader? Thoughts?