The other day, I got a great email from a close peer of mine who spends a lot of their time time educating clients and prospects too. The note contained some anectodal stories about the kinds of questions they are asked and the questions shared are very similar to the ones I get asked frequently as well. But towards the end of the message, my peer said something that kind of stuck with me; they said that it's all about educating right now. Even though we (my peer and I) may find ourselves in the social and web 2.0 space every day, there are many people that are not as entrenched and who just don't know, period. As a result, education is a major aspect of our collective outreach.

That got me to thinking -- a rather dangerous activity I must say :) -- that my prospects and clients alike are always learning both independently on their own as well as from me. The process of acquiring new knowledge is (and should always be) a never ending one but sometimes, it really helps to have someone help you make sense of information that is new and unfamiliar. When we go to school, our teachers are instrumental in helping us sort through volumes of new information ... everything from sounding out the alphabet to trigonometry equations in your junior or senior years of high school. And in college it's no different. Instructors and professors are there to help us to make sense of even more massive amounts of information.

In professional life, however, there's no one designated to show us the way, per se. We are left to our own passions, interests and efforts to learn what we choose to learn about and do the best we can interpreting the data we aquire along the way.

I often see my prospects and clients alike embark on educational journeys in search of information about search engine marketing, digital marketing, email marketing, content marketing and of course, social media marketing. Along their way, they may stumble upon information about product X, Y or service Z. They sometimes try to decipher the information as best as they can but some have shared it's a bit daunting because the sheer volume of information on these subjects on the Internet is (a) never-ending, (b) always changing and (c) somewhat "technical" in nature being web 2.0-related and all. Other comments shared have to do with the availability (and somtimes overabundance) of disparate, inaccurate, confusing, conflicting or hyped up information which just raises the noise level and adds to the confusion.

The fact is simply that there truly is soooooooo much information out there about social media "best practices," digital marketing "approaches" and web publishing "tools" and often, the information being shared is opinionated (such as a blog post with a product or service review) or marketing copy describing features and benefits meant more to close the sale rather than objectively inform. Yes, there's good information out there, too, but one cannot ignore the vast amount of not-so-good information as well.

As with any field or wealth of knowledge, it's important to seek someone out who not only can help you sort through the deluge of data but who can also help you to make objective sense of it. Right?? I mean, anyone can help sort or organize information but not everyone can actually distinguish between good wisdom, sound advice and crapola.

If you find yourself on the hunt for someone who can help you milk the goodness from countless piles of social media and digital marketing information out on the 'Net, here are some questions to ask yourself and things to consider:

• What is the social media mentor's background?
  Do not dismiss someone who's only been in the field a relatively short amount of time. While the breadth of their knowledge may not have "years of extensive experience" tied to their belt, often newer entrants to the digital marketing and social media space are eager readers, voraciously imbibing relevant information about the subject daily and with great passion. Likewise, if someone has a more seasoned background, what was their career track? What unique perspective do they bring to the table?
• Although they will surely have opinions, can the social media mentor be objective in their sharing of various schools of thought?
  A perfect test of objectivity is the topic of ghosting on social networks or on blogs. There are folks that are absolutely repulsed by the act of ghosting and find it to be a despicable practice. Others are far more accepting. And still others are middle-of-the road on this subject. What you are looking for is someone who, despite their allegiance with one specific school of thought or approach, can they be objective when they share or impart opposing views. Read the prospective mentor's blog posts and check out some older posts, too, to identify the moderates. The arena of social media and digital marketing changes far too frequently to be limit oneself to a very narrow way of thinking or seeing things.
• Can the mentor do more than tell a story?
  A good mentor will not only tell you stories, e.g. case studies, of good social media or digital marketing usage. Anyone can look up how Zappos.com uses Twitter and how successful Ford's been with their social media outreach. What you are looking for is for someone who can translate these stories into a language that makes relevant sense for you and your business. You are seeking someone who can identify the lessons learned aspects of a story and correlate them to your every day digital marketing activities.
• Is the mentor highly specialized in one aspect of web 2.0 or is their knowledge more diverse?
  One is not better than the other, per se. Someone highly specialized in one social utility tool like Facebook may not be as familiar with other online communities. Likewise, someone who knows a little bit about many subjects in the web 2.0 space may not have enough depth or range on more specific, detailed topics. Again, neither position is right or wrong. Each angle can be helpful; the highly specialized Facebook mentor can be an excellent resource who can keep you abreast of Facebook-friendly applications and Facebook trends ... and the mentor who's more well rounded and not tool-specific may not know enough about any specific topic beyond the surface but could surely steer you in the right direction. Ultimately, you should just be aware of which way your mentor leans so you can adapt your learning and expectations accordingly.
• Is the mentor also a student?
  A good mentor is also a student. He or she is always learning, too. They never reach "enlightment" -- rather, they are constantly seeking out new information, data and meaning. As you assess your prospective social media mentor, make sure they can and do often wear both mentor and student hats. There are no subject matter experts no matter what you've been made to believe. We are all learning together and doing our best to keep up with a topic and space that thrives off information overload and never-ending change.

Good luck in finding that mentor!!! :)