So you’re ready to step-up your social media game, or start something new. Why do you need a social media consultant? Let’s just say this– I know how to change a light bulb, but that doesn’t make me an electrician.

There are a lot of folks out there calling themselves social media consultants, experts or gurus. (My personal favorite is “ninja”. Seriously?) So how do you sort through the riffraff and find the right person to help your business? Here are four things to look for when hiring a social media consultant.

1. Experience.  This one may seem obvious, but it in this area that a lot of so-called experts misrepresent themselves. Avid use is not the same as experience.

2. Demonstrated results. A social media consultant should be able to provide examples of when they produced measurable results for a client.

3. A niche or specialty that fits your business. No one can do it all, and anyone who doesn’t have a specialty could be limited in how much tactical advice they can provide for your particular situation. A specialized consultant will understand your client base, your resources (or lack thereof) and will have relationships with bloggers and other online influencers that they can leverage for you.

4. Professional activity. Do they attend or speak at conferences and workshops? Belong to professional organizations or networking groups? Do they write a blog or publish a newsletter? Social media is an incredibly dynamic field and a good consultant is a lifelong learner. However, don’t get caught up looking at the consultant’s “numbers” (i.e. Twitter followers, Facebook likes, etc.) as a measure of success. Some of the best consultants are too busy working their tails off for their clients to amass an enormous personal following.

Hey ninjas, what else should clients look for in a social media consultant?

Thanks to Scott Dickson for inspiring this post.

Image credit: gapingvoid. Used with permission.