Just two things about the “go and google it” – there can often be a lot of disinformation. Google “quick seo tips” for example and you’ll find the same regurgitated crap thats clogging up the web. Misinformation perpetuates because 1) people think its true 2) people want other people to go to their site 3) people get cliquey and make up stuff and agree with it/promote it and push stuff they want to like -v- the actual truth.

Secondly, its about time. I meet companies with bad ideas about online marketing every week. They read all kinds of nonsense about H1 tags and keywords and other crap…list goes on. It can take a long time to fix. Time is money.

@Mark Just because someone has learnt something/augmented knowldege through learing by trial and error – they should share all of that knowledge? It’s not a product, so it should be free? So artists shouldn’t charge? music should be free, food should be too, as should driving schools. What about surgeons – they learn a lot more after their grounding in college when they start watching other surgeons or from trying it themselves- shouldn’t they give it away free too then?

I really liked your post about the Online Marketing scam being run by Pat Slattery etc. I also really hate the twitter scams and affiliate marketing programmes that go on the web all the time.

I think James Kennedy hit the nail on the head and I’d like to add: I hire people all the time. I studied accountancy for a long time, but I’m not an accountant. I have to hire accountants for different businesses and different reasons. I sometimes know more than my accountants in certain ares, like tax relief but less in areas of day to day mundane things. I hate accountancy and I prefer to pay someone to do my books so I can get on with the business of what I do.

I have a good few clients who are terrified of the web and tools like twitter. Sure, people like us who are technologists of a certain order, love to find new tools and networking and phone technologies and apps. But some people really dont get it or dont want to try on their own. that happens. Dell used to run a course for people to send e-mail and e-mail is simpler than twitter and everyone who worked at dell could put a PC together in seconds.

We’ve become a very specialised society and we suck at doing things we dont want to do because of whatever mental block.

We also seem to suffer from NetRage and its as easy and anonymous to take someone up the wrong way over the web as it is in a car

I dont think Claire charges people verry much and I’m happy to say I think that there are cases where her work is necessary and I’ve happily recommended her and its working out well.

I personally don’t see the need for these courses but you and I are not the type of people they are aimed at. As people have stated above you can teach yourself how to use anything these days by simply searching the web, should you have the time and inclination, but unfortunately some people simply don’t.

I recommend to all my clients they use Twitter and indicate ways it can benefit their business and, if they ask, how they can enjoy it from a personal benefit. But every time, without fail, the people who don’t use or understand Twitter are always
fall into two groups: firstly, they are those that aren’t tech/internet savvy and don’t understand blogs, how their own website works, other forms of social media or SEO, or secondly they are people that are simply too busy to set one up and use it for their business, as they are concentrating on fee-paying work and are not interested in using it on a personal basis. I don’t charge for this guidance specifically but it is part of my role as their PR representative to teach how all forms of communication work and I see one of Twitter’s many facets as being a communication tool the same as I explain to clients how the TV, radio, press, blogs etc operate.

There is a definite demand for these courses from people who want a shortcut quick-guide on how to use Twitter, but I think this comes more from businesses than private individuals and businesses are often too happy to cough up the cost for these courses especially when there is so much hype and misunderstanding around Twitter, plus at €25-€50 it is not a big cost.

I think the problem comes when these Twitter for business courses are too basic, miss the point and don’t give value for money. For instance where they miss the point is showing how Twitter can be beneficial for each business and I don’t think can be done as a group as it comes to down to the individual needs of a person or business e.g. a restaurant or author using Twitter will have different needs to a recruitment firm or a solicitor. That’s why when people come to these courses they can’t see how useful it is to them and often I don’t the person giving the course is aware of this or the needs to the people who are attending.

Twitter needs to be discussed within the context of the overall needs of an individual business and how can it can provide another means of communication, customer interaction, promotion, marketing, a research tool, whatever the business would find beneficial and how this ties in with the business other means of communication, customer interaction etc etc.

I have seen a couple of self-proclaimed social media gurus trying and failing to spout on about these courses (BTW Pat I’m obviously not in anyway including you in this) but it makes them look immature and insecure, whilst their unprofessionalism belies the fact that they don’t have the slightest bit of business acumen to show how these tools can be applied either.

Simon.