Personally, I don’t think it’s important to have social media in your title. I say that having received a similar title change from the company I work for.

When I 1st stared this adventure two years ago, I knew I wanted a job in social media. It was just something that I wanted, something that felt right. Just the fact that my day to day responsibilities had some sort of social media involvement, excited me. The title was irrelevant.

My current title is Director, Social Web Communications. It was important to me to have communications somewhere in the title, because as you mentioned, this whole thing is about communicating. Many don’t know how, and they haven’t had the chance to catch with the changes that have occurred and the changes that keep happening.

Social Media is a tool, and I don’t want a job title after a tool. Director, Bench Saw Table doesn’t read right to me…

At the end of the day, we — all of us regardless of our specialty — are problem solvers. We help our teams win.

To help, we offer specific expertise and apply it to the challenges in front of us. Sometimes we’re not needed. Sometimes we are.

I see social media as one of the means to attract, engage, etc. Social media is a distinct practice area and, I think, deserving of some distinction.

As problem solvers, we must be media agnostic. In other words, we can’t just look at a problem or challenge through one lens. If I am more of a social media guru, then I shouldn’t frame each and every problem/challenge in that light. Rather, I should see it for what it is and consider the full scope of available tools/means to achieve our team’s objectives.

We have a duty to be so disciplined.

That said, we still need specialists. We need individuals who have an in-depth knowledge of a particular practice area. Generalists and versatilists are great… but my feeling is we still need specialists.

Suggesting we don’t need social media titles, in my mind, almost belittles social media as a distinct practice area.

I’m not necessarily hung up on the term “social media”… Other titles can work… but if the job in question is oriented and designed around the use of emerging/social media, I have no problem incorporating those terms into one’s title.

I agree with all those who say we’re all focused on the “why” first and not the “how”… But organizations need specialists in certain “how” areas. Where they do and that’s the individual’s focus, the title fits… And I also think it gives the practice area some credibility and recognition within the organization, especially when you’re dealing with certain cultures.

Will social media titles evolve? Sure. You bet. Nothing stays the same.

Is it important to have social media in your title? I have to say: Yes, sometimes… and I’d lean toward including it more often than not.

Thanks for sharing the idea of starting a social media council by the way… I love that – I just submitted the idea to my boss this morning. :-)

Maybe it’s my issue… if so, I’m willing to own it… because, if nothing else, I learn so much from people who disagree with me :-)