I found a compelling article on the merits of social media by marketing consultant Peter Shankman on businessinsider.com.

The article is titled “Why I Will Never, Ever Hire A Social Media Expert.” I don’t agree with everything he says, of course, but it makes for interesting discussion. My takeaway is that Shankman is warning us about straying too far from the traditional cornerstones of a good marketing strategy. Social media is merely a tactic -- it’s nobody’s marketing magic bullet. Further, soclal hasn't been properly evaluated from a cost/value standpoint. From the Z’s perspective, we don’t want to jump on the bandwagon with other agencies and drive our clients down the social media road just because it’s the most obvious thing they’re expecting to hear. Anyway, that’s my take on the subject. Give it a read yourself and let me know what you think.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-will-never-ever-hire-a-social-media-expert-2011-5