The secret to becoming a social media expert – Dirk Visser at CBR’s advice

By Nikita Geldenhuys

At age 31, Visser has done a bit of almost everything. He has a degree in journalism, with a political science major. He has worked as a lift mechanic, sold medical supplies, dabbled in marketing and public relations, and has been a website manager for a large church. He’s also a trained musician who enjoys amateur boxing in his spare time.

He joined CBR Marketing Solutions with limited experience in 2013, and was promoted to head of social media in 2015. He now steers a team of 11 people and has appeared on radio stations, TV and at conferences as a social media expert.   

Here’s how he got to where he is now, and what he’s looking forward to in the future:

When you joined CBR Marketing, you embarked on training courses and learnt from people in the social media industry. What exactly did training yourself for a social media marketing position involve?

In the beginning, it was quite intense. I had a little bit of social media knowledge prior to joining CBR, but with the number of clients and scale of work required, it meant that I had to seek out as much knowledge as possible.

I immersed myself in Facebook’s Blueprint programme, enrolled in a Social Media Online course hosted by GetSmarter, and tried to attend as many social media conferences as possible. I spent a lot of time online looking at brands that I felt were doing an awesome job online. I also made a point of asking for advice from the top professionals in South Africa.

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. It is no longer seen as a sign of weakness, but rather as wanting to improve and that is never a weakness.

How did you make the leap to becoming a social media expert?

Honestly, it happened organically. By continuing to seek out and gain knowledge, it helped me to implement strategy and campaigns quicker, and provide results to the clients that I was looking after. Knowledge is key in this business but I am not afraid of making mistakes because that is the best teacher. I love to experiment.

You’ve mentioned that extensive experience and knowledge are not hard and fast requirements when you appoint new team members. How can people prepare themselves to find work in social media teams such as yours?

Attitude is key! I have developed an incredible culture within my team and as much as knowledge is important, I look for people who are not afraid to get their hands dirty. I love people who challenge me, who are always looking for the latest innovations.

There is a lot of stress associated with social media but it can be managed if the person has a great attitude. Things are ever changing – I look for people who can adapt to change and make it work for them.

Looking at the industry on a wider scale, how would you rate the level of quality and innovation in South African social media marketing?

I would rate the content that I am seeing in South Africa as world class. We have some brilliant creative minds here and we can compete on the global stage quite easily. We are restricted in SA only by the speed of roll out of innovations from major social media platforms, but because we are constantly researching, we are ready to go live with awesome concepts as soon as we are able to.

I am very excited to start seeing artificial intelligence being incorporated in social media. I am very keen to see the use of bot technology in Facebook Messenger so that brands can offer a 24/7 customer service experience.

What is the most important piece of advice you would offer South African brands working with social media?

Know your customers and listen to what they are saying. Online users are way more informed than they ever were before. They know the brand very well. The right way to engage with them is to listen to what they are saying, and provide them with conversations that will encourage them to keep engaging with the brand.

For more information, connect with Visser on LinkedIn.

Want more advice on becoming a social media expert? Our article, Social media marketing in developing countries: a Q&A with Nissan’s David Parkinson, explains how an IT manager rose up in the ranks to become the digital head for Nissan’s Africa, Middle East & India markets.