With more than 80% of customers saying that social media, particularly influencer content, hugely impacts their buying habits, marketers from all walks of business are driving the evolution of social media marketing (SMM).
It was once thought of as a standalone tool for marketing, but it is now a multiheaded source of marketing intelligence on the buying behavior of the ever-increasing audience on these platforms.
In just a period of 18 years, (Myspace was the first social media site to reach more than one million users in 2004) to 2022, there has been a dramatic growth in the number of interactive digital channels, which have taken the influence of these platforms to levels that are even surpassing those of television, when it comes to marketing opportunities.
In 2022, there are more than 4.6 billion users on social media, which is over 58% of the world’s population, The growth increases by more than 10% every year.
As the popularity of social media marketing grew, it became more complex for people to understand, and this is where Michael Stelzner and Social Media Examiner come in.
Michael Stelzner built the premier source of information, news, and learning for social media marketing enthusiasts and professionals.
The site grew to more than 1.2 million users in its first year alone and generated more than 1 million dollars in revenue for Michael.
He is considered to be a leader when it comes to knowledge about how SMM works.
In this article, we look at the life and times of Michael Stelzner and see just how he grew Social Media Examiner, and the services the company provides.
A Quick Glance at the Life and Times of Michael Stelzner
Before Michael made it big with Social Media Examiner, he lived a traditionally common life working in corporate America.
He expected to go through the corporate structure, working his way up, just like any normal guy.
He started a small consulting business, and worked with new and old clients, to build the business.
He primarily dealt in web design at the time and tinkered with writing white papers.
As time went by, he realized that writing white papers was a lucrative business, so he shifted more of his attention in that direction.
He started ‘WhitePaperSource” and crafted more than 100 white papers for huge companies in the corporate realm.
It was not until later when he was invited to speak at a convention that the idea of launching a website occurred to him.
The rest is history.
Social Media Examiner was born, and Michael navigated it to the successful business it is today.
Michael surely had a bumpy start when working in the corporate world, but he made the best out of a bad situation and emerged victorious.
The Inspirational Career Path of Michael Stelzner
Stelzner Consulting
In August of 1995, Michael started his own creating agency, Stelzner Consulting. In using his last name as the name of the firm, many who had worked with him were able to quickly engage his services.
He consulted with several businesses and helped them create their first website experiences.
At the time, he was a web designer, and also produced annual reports. He gave services related to corporate identities, such as brochures, company logos, and other forms of collateral development.
He also offered services to do with copywriting and advertising.
WhtePaperSource
While he was still operating under the name of Stelzner Consulting, he started a side business between the years 2004 to 2009, where he made a name for himself in the high-tech space.
He focused more attention on writing white papers for major corporations.
He was able to write persuasive, long-form, educational white papers for corporate entities such as FedEx, Motorola, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, SAP, and Monster.com.
Throughout his career, Michael has written more than 100 white papers, all of which have been a huge success.
Social Media Examiner
During the summer of 2009, Michael Stelzner founded Social Media Examiner.
The company currently carries out the business of teaching people how to use social media platforms to market and build their businesses, products, and services.
The company shows people how to best make use of social media in creating relationships with customers, generating outreach, driving web traffic, and increasing sales and profits.
However, this was not his original idea.
At the start, he thought of making Social Media Examiner an online magazine or blog. He wanted to write detailed articles related to social media.
His business partners, who also happened to be writers and marketers, were not really excited about his experimental exploits.
After he got information that he was scheduled to present at two major conventions in October 2009, he hired the services of web designers and illustrators to create a working website before that date arrived.
Social Media Examiner was launched on October 12th, 2009, just two days before he was to present at the convention.
At one of the events, he came along with a video crew and interviewed several social media gurus who were at the event too.
He later uploaded the interviews, one at a time, throughout the month.
Within the first month, after it was launched, Social Media Examiner had reached over 12,000 visitors.
In less than 5 months, Technorati, an adverting publishing platform, had already ranked Social Media Examiner as the #1 business blog in the world.
By February 2017, Social Media Examiner had a readership volume of more than 1.2 million people.
It is a small wonder that within the first year since it was launched, the company had earned more than a million dollars in revenue.
Social Media Society
One of the reasons why Social Media Examiner has become so successful is the community that has grown around the company.
The community is known as Social Media Marketing Society.
This is a membership community of marketers, who primarily focus on social media marketing.
Marketers are always driven to stay on top of constant change and produce highly-successful results. This can truly be an exhausting journey.
Marketers must get the right training and techniques that will make it easier to achieve these difficult goals.
Finding them on your own can be a difficult undertaking, and this is why the society was formed.
The society offers a one-stop shop for marketing greatness.
Members get training on the best social media marketing strategies and tactics – all tried and tested by other successful marketers.
There are more than 100 workshops offered by the society, all in one place.
Some of the important topics covered are:
- Content marketing
- Video creation
- Conversion rate optimization
- Google Analytics
- Instagram marketing (organic and paid)
- YouTube marketing (organic and paid)
- Facebook marketing (organic and paid)
- LinkedIn marketing (organic and paid)
- Email marketing
- Visual design
- and much more!
Members are well-equipped so they never have to wonder if they are doing the right thing.
It is great to be able to approach social media marketing with confidence.
This is why the society has become vibrant and is also one of the best resources for social media marketing training.
Popular Conferences Founded by Michael Stelzner
We have talked about Social Media Examiner the top-most social media marketing resource in the world.
The community around Social Media Examiner grew to be so huge that Mike thought that it would be great if they all could meet every year at conferences organized by the company.
The Social Media Marketing World Conference is an annual event that brings business people. Marketers, trainers, and other experts together in one place.
Social media changes from day to day, and if there is one thing that people in the field agree on, is that people have to embrace change in order to get ahead.
The conference brings the world’s smartest marketers and influencers to teach people how to succeed in social media marketing.
People love the conference because they can get actionable tips, and strategy advice Live, and also in person.
These experts cover all of the social media platforms, and some of the people who have graced the occasions as speakers include:
- Mari Smith – The Queen of Facebook.
- Tamsen Webster – a top messaging strategist.
- Mark Schaefer – a social strategist and futurist.
- Tim Schmoyer – leading YouTube strategist
- Marcus Sheridan – is an acclaimed speaker and content marketing ninja.
- Molly Pittman – a top digital advertising strategist.
- Ann Hadley – the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs.
- Joe Pulizzi – is one of the top global gurus on the topic of content marketing.
- Sean Cannel – a YouTube influencer coach and master
- Yours truly, Michael Stelzner.
There are three main reasons why the conference was created and these have always held true for all those who have attended.
#1: You Get Quality Marketing Training
Unlike other events, Social Media Examiner is very careful in the selection of its speakers and trainers as you have seen in the list of past trainers above.
You are sure to get the very best of training that you can implement right away, after leaving the conference.
#2: You Instantly Apply What You Learn
Every session and training that you get during the conference is carefully crafted such that it can be actionable immediately.
The conference is not just about theory… You get training n things that you can implement and start seeing results within a short time.
#3: You Get To Make Lifelong Connections
During these conferences, people get to meet other marketers from all over the world and connect in a way not possible, even in virtual conferences.
Everyone who attends is out to meet people who they can work with to build their businesses and marketing skills.
The first Crypto Business Conference will be held in October 2022 and will be a continuous annual event.
At the conference, people will be taught by the leading natives of the Crypto world and NFT pioneers.
These are people who live and breathe Web3 every day.
If you want to learn more about this new conference series by Social Media Examiner, get more information through this link.
Michel Stelzner: The Podcaster
Michael Stelzner is also an avid podcaster and hosts several podcasts targeted at issues facing the social media marketing world.
Let us take a quick look at these podcasts and what they have to offer.
- The Journey
This is a podcast in which Michael talks about the journey that he has gone through with Social Media Examiner.
The Journey is an unscripted podcast that gives you a raw view of the growth of the company.
He talks about the changes that the company goes through, whenever they decide to do a major event or undertake a different strategy.
It is a personal view into the thinking of this great social media marketer, and if you are curious about how he does it, then you should check out some of the videos on “The Journey”.
Watching some of the episodes on this podcast cum live broadcast, you will be amazed at how unconditional methods of doing business can be effective for growth and profitability.
- Social Media Marketing Podcast
On August 10, 2012, Michael Stelzner launched his first podcast, Social Media Marketing Podcast. The main aim of the podcast was to help listeners improve their marketing skills, and keep them updated on the goings-on in the social media world.
The first episode was a collaboration between himself, and Mari Smith, “The Queen of Facebook”, where they explored Mari’s insights into Facebook on mobile, as well as the vast opportunities for how businesses can share their Facebook content on the vast number of mobile device users.
The podcast has since grown to over 250 episodes and has more than 250,000 to 300,000 downloads every month.
Michael holds the podcast every week, and in each episode, he interviews a leading marketing expert from a vast array of industries and specialties.
The podcasts are available on:
You can click on any of the above links to access the podcasts and start your journey to understanding more bout social media marketing, and the opportunities it has for you.
If you do not know how to subscribe to this podcast, here is a video tutorial, that will show you how to do so.
Let us explore one of the podcasts found on YouTube.
Relationship Building with Live Video
In this podcast episode, Michael interviews Melanie Dyann Howe, of MelanieDyann.com, who helps female entrepreneurs and professionals use live video and social media to authentically put themselves out there.
The video covers:
- An introduction to Melanie Dyann Howe and Live Video
- The reason why Live Video matters in 2022
- The best Live Video strategy for building relationships – Format, People, and Engagement
- A few ideas for Live Video formats.
- How to bring your guests into your Live Video show
- Some great ideas for stimulating your audience during your Live Video show.
- Social Media Marketing Talk Show
This is another weekly podcast hosted by Social Media Examiner, aptly dubbed, “Your Weekly Cup of Social Media News for Marketers!”
The social media Marketing Talk show is one of the oldest weekly talk shows that deal exclusively with the topic of social media marketing.
The show is broadcast LIVE every Friday and is later available in various formats.
You will get insights into strategies of social media marketing, that you can implement instantly.
The podcast can be found by following the links below:
- Apple Podcasts
- Google Podcasts
- Spotify
- YouTube – (Live Broadcast reruns)
- Amazon Music
- RSS
Let us take a quick look at a couple of episodes from the podcast:
Twitter Updates: Spaces, Notes, and More
This show features Madalyn Sklar, a top Twitter Marketing Strategist, and founder of Madalyn Sklar Inc.
Madalyn Sklar Inc is a company that helps busy entrepreneurs to transform their social media marketing so they can get the best rewards of a strong community and higher engagement.
In this episode, the video delves into the following topics:
- Twitter Spaces: Updates and Management Tools
- Twitter Communities: Pinned Tweets and Algorithmic Timelines
- Twitter Shopping: Updates and Product Drops
- Twitter Accessibility: Updates for Video Content and Analytics Charts
- Twitter Notes for Long-Form Content
- Twitter Unmention Feature
- Twitter Experiments: Co-tweets, Circles, and Custom-Built Timelines
- Twitter Location Spotlight for Professional Accounts
- Twitter Branded Likes for Advertisers
For those looking to use Twitter as a marketing tool, then you will get a lot of insights from watching this broadcast rerun.
LinkedIn Updates: Pages, Events, Profiles, and More…
This show features Judi Fox, a renowned LinkedIn Business Accelerator. Judi is also the founder of JudiFox, a company that helps businesses improve their profiles on social media, particularly LinkedIn.
In this particular episode, Judi talks about some new features on LinkedIn, and how you can leverage them to boost your business.
The episode covers:
- How best to respond to posts on your LinkedIn company page.
- The best organic lead generation forms for your LinkedIn pages.
- The new Boost function added to Scheduled LinkedIn Events.
- The new Expanded Comment engagement functionality for your LinkedIn Events.
- The new way that LinkedIn allows users to add products that they have worked on as a sub-element in their experience settings.
- The hashtags and @mentions for pages and people added to Newsletters and Articles.
- The new LinkedIn repost option for updates to posts.
This is definitely a show that you should watch if you want to take your LinkedIn marketing efforts to the next level.
All the shows are hosted by Jerry Potter, who claims to share a name with the famous magical wizard, Harry Potter.
Jerry is also the founder of Five Minute Social Media, a company that explores some unconventional, yet successful ways in which people and businesses can use social media for marketing purposes.
- The Crypto Business Podcast with Michael Stelzner
This is a podcast where you will learn how Web3 will impact your business, and how you can jump on the bandwagon.
The Crypto Business podcast is hosted every week by Michael Stelzner.
It explores the new and complicated frontier of Web3, in a manner that is easy to understand.
In each episode, Mike demystifies the business side of Social Tokens, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs).
In each episode, he interviews a leading expert in Web3 technology and its applications.
Web3 is designed for creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs, and in the podcast, you will learn how to grow your business in ways that you had never thought about. The beauty of it all is that you will not have to sift through the mire of confusing technical and financial jargon.
You can listen to the podcasts by clicking on one of the links below:
If you are curious about the podcasts, let us take a look at one or two episodes.
Crypto and the Future of Business: A Primer
In this episode, Mike interviews Joel Comm on why people should pay attention to web3, and the impact of Social Tokens, NFTs, DAOs, and the metaverse on entrepreneurs, marketers, and creators.
Joel Comm is the founder of The Nifty Company Inc and The Nifty Show.
The episode covers the following topics:
- How Joel Comm got into Crypto.
- The benefits that Joel has reaped from Crypto.
- Why you should think about Crypto.
- The evolutions of blockchains and cryptocurrency.
- The definition of an NFT
- The business applications of NFTs
- What are Social Tokens and Creator Coins
- What are DAOs
- An explanation of the metaverse
- The future of Crypto
And a lot more.
How Brands Can Benefit From Web3
In this episode, Mike interviews Mathew Sweezey, the co-founder of Trailhead Salesforce Web3 Studio.
Salesforce Web3 Studio is a company that teaches people all about Web3 and how to implement it in business marketing and also to earn money.
He also runs his own company, Mathew Sweezey, where he showcases his books and podcast.
In this video, mike, and Mathew explore several topics, including:
- The reason why Web3 is so important to your business today.
- How your brand can get involved in Web3.
- What Web3 means when it comes to identity.
And a lot more.
So, if you want to learn more about the emerging opportunities for businesses in Web, or Crypto< then you should sign up for this podcast.
Michael Stelzner and Social Media Examiner on YouTube
Apart from hosting podcasts, Mike Stelzner and Social Media Examiner produce several videos on various topics about social media marketing on their dedicated YouTube Channel.
The channel has a wealth of video tutorials and informative videos on how you can leverage the various social media platforms to market your products and services.
Some videos are targeted at individual social media platforms, including the ones that people hardly think about like TikTok.
If you are serious about becoming a powerful social media marketer or propelling your business to higher levels through social media, then this is a channel that you should visit from time to time.
Let us take a peek at a couple of videos that really stand out:
How to Create Your First TikTok Video: TikTok for Business
Many business people do not consider TikTok to be a great social media marketing channel.
However, this video presented by Rachel Pederson, a leading social media strategist, and TikTok expert should change your mind.
Rachel will take you through the steps that you should follow when you want to create, edit and publish videos on TikTok for marketing purposes.
Some of the topics she covers, for those who are still new to TikTok include:
- A walkthrough of the TikTok interface.
- How to go about recording a TikTok video
- How to go about publishing a TikTok video.
- How to cross-post TikTok videos
- Many other resources about TikTok.
TikTok does not have to be a mystery anymore. Check out this video.
How to Use Instagram Hashtags for Maximum Exposure
Are you struggling to get more exposure for your Instagram posts?
Jenn Herman, an Instagram expert takes you through s step-by-step process that will show you the best mix of hashtags that you should use for long-term and short-term exposure on Instagram.
The topics covered in the video are:
- How many Instagram hashtags to use?
- How to go about researching Instagram hashtags
- Where you should add Instagram hashtags
- How to analyze the performance of your Instagram hashtags.
So, if you are struggling with Instagram hashtags, then this is a video that you should watch.
Michael Stelzner: The Author
As we mentioned earlier, apart from being an expert on social media marketing, Michael is also an insightful author, especially in the field of white papers.
He has written a couple of highly-acclaimed books.
These are:
Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition – 23rd May 2001
The book is available in Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, and CD versions.
This book is ideal for you if you have been let down by the undelivered promises of marketing.
The Book shows you a new way to expand your business, which involves giving gifts, focusing on the needs of others, restraining your marketing messages, and working with outsiders.
The principles outlined in this book are precisely the opposite of what you may know about traditional marketing, but… they still work wonderfully.
These are the marketing strategies of the future.
When you follow the formula laid out in the book, you will attract a high number of customers and prospects thereby growing your business successfully.
The book outlines the following methods:
- Creating highly shareable content that addresses the needs of your target audience.
- Identifying and working with outside experts, most of whom will gladly promote your content.
- Entice and retain raving fans who will help expand your business.
- Creatively market and sell to people who are willing to purchase and promote your products and services.
The book is substantively different from other marketing books. Instead of making acute observations about other people who have achieved success, the book outlines principles and ideas that have been developed, refined, and practiced by Michael to great success.
The book teaches through the experience of the author.
This is a book that you should get if you want to succeed in your marketing endeavors.
Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged – September 7th, 2017
The book is available in both Kindle and Hardcover versions.
The book gives you insightful tips to master white paper writing and marketing.
A white paper is a combination of a magazine article and a brochure.
Michael Stelzner, who is a master of white paper writing and marketing, reveals his secrets for creating compelling white papers that will bring in readers in droves.
This is the first book of its kind, and it provides important how-to details on the steps you should follow to create a successful white paper project.
It takes you through the steps from assessing your audiences’ needs to attracting prospects with creative marketing tactics.
The book will take you through:
- Creating outlines that work.
- Mastering techniques of conducting interviews.
- Focusing content on your readers.
- Adding persuasion to your white paper.
- How to quickly find the relevant research data.
- How to write the core parts of the white paper.
- How to create compelling titles.
- How to apply proven marketing processes.
Whether you have been given the task to write a white paper for your organization, are a freelance writer looking to grow your practice, or are a student who wants to master the intricacies of writing a white paper, this is the book for you.
The Social Media Marketing Report
Michael Stelzner produces an annual Social Media Marketing Report, which is a FREE resource on the happenings within social media marketing circles.
If you are wondering what other marketers are doing on social media, then this is the right report for you.
The report showcases what thousands of professionals are doing with their organic marketing activities, video marketing exploits, and social media advertising endeavors.
The report covers:
- The most common social media platforms used for B2B vs. B2C.
- The current and future organic social strategies.
- How video marketing is done and its future use.
- How social media adverts are used on each platform.
- The top questions that marketers want to be answered.
The Social Media Marketing Industry Report offers insights about the world of social media, which you will not get from any other source.
You can use the insights to craft or change your strategy like a pro. This way, you will always be one step ahead of the changes that are coming in the future.
The report is free, so make sure that you download your copy soon.
People Who Recommend Michael Stelzner
Mike has had a powerful influence on people in social media marketing circles, and they offer glowing recommendations after working with him.
Here are a few of them:
Denise Wakeman is an Online Marketing & Visibility Consultant at DeniseWakeman.com
Denise worked with Mike some time back, on a joint venture project, and she was highly impressed by his creativity, out-of-the-box mentality, and his attention to detail and execution.
She says that Michael is a true master, of not only the white paper genre in which he is still the leader but also as a trainer and marketer.
Michal always pushes the envelope to uncover new and profitable ways to build businesses and partnerships that are a win-win-win.
Denise highly recommends Michael to anyone looking for a creator of a successful white paper. She also recommends him as a business partner. She says that every student looking to learn how to generate leads would benefit highly through learning from Michael.
Liz is a co-founder and CEO of GeniusShared.
Liz has had the opportunity to work with Michael in the past, and she says that h is the best in his field. He is a pleasure to work with and the ultimate professional.
She mentions that she finds Michael to be intelligent, experienced, and willing to share his expertise.
Michael has a penchant for being thoughtful, deeply thorough, and designed to come up with the best results, in a consistent manner that bears a high return on investment.
Mike has in-depth knowledge of the business he is in, and understands that it is his business to fully grasp the nuances and details of the procedure, process, or product that he is writing about.
She highly recommends Michael as a true professional, who makes the complex art and craft of his work seem easy, when in fact, it is anything but that.
Mari Smith, also known as the “Queen of Facebook” has worked with Michael on several occasions.
Mari is also the founder and CEO of Mari Smith International Inc., a social media marketing company.
Mari says that Mike is one of her personal favorite social media marketing experts on the planet. She finds him to be a consummate professional, where every project they have worked on together, and every interaction she has had with him, has been flawless.
She says his attention to detail is second to none, and he is extremely generous.
Mike has extensive knowledge of white papers, copywriting, and hosting large summits both live and virtual.
His proven social media marketing strategies are exceptional.
She recommends him highly and says that if you ever have a chance to work with or learn from Michael, you should run and not walk to take advantage of the opportunity.
Read Also – Mari Smith: Life and Times of the Acclaimed “Queen of Facebook”
Andrea Vahl is a Social Media Consultant, Author, Facebook Advertising Exert, and Speaker, who also used to don the cap of her alter ego “Grandma Mary” to hilariously talk about social media marketing issues.
Andrea is also the founder of Andrea Vahl Inc., a company that deals primarily with advertising on Facebook.
Andrea has had the chance to work with Michael Stelzner and directly reported to him, when at Social Media Marketing.
She says that Michael is a brilliant leader, who built a multi-million-dollar company from the ground up, within a few short years.
She highly respects his incredible vision, and ability to take advantage of emerging trends, while delivering amazing value to his community.
She highly recommends Michael and says that if you get the chance to work with Michael, you should jump on it!
Read Also – Andrea Vahl: The Hilarious, Knowledgeable, and Inspiring Social Media and Facebook Marketing Guru
Apryl is a licensed Delaware real estate agent, working at Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva.
Apryl has worked with Michael as an apprentice, and she has seen first-hand what makes him a top sought-after individual when it comes to writing and marketing white papers.
She says Michael has a fool-proof system, which he has honed through many years of experience, and the results speak for themselves.
She says that Michael knows how to cut to the chase, and is a master at communicating the unique values of a company to an audience.
He is always innovative, thinking out of the box, and his extensive knowledge of the medium, coupled with his innate ability to organize both people and information, is what keeps him at the top of the industry.
He is also enthusiastic and fun to work with.
Apryl highly recommends Michael to any business that is serious about increasing visibility, lead generation, and thought leadership.
Ryan is the founder and chairman of SmartBug Media and has brought in Michael as a consultant a couple of times.
SmartBug Media is a marketing agency, that provides boutique marketing services to drive revenue and growth.
He says that when he brought in Michael for the second time, he was to assist them in writing a white paper that was critical to their go-to-market strategy.
He asserts that Michael is a true expert when it comes to extracting key messages and advantages from the team.
He then combines them with current marketing trends and articulates them in a way that is educational, concise, and persuasive.
He highly recommends Michael who will augment any efforts that you may have in marketing.
Greg is a founder and director at Logo Cowboy, a company that primarily creates logos for businesses.
He is also an identity designer at both Coywolf and Social Media Examiner.
Greg has worked with Michael and directly reported to him, while at Social Media Examiner.
He says that Michael is an astute planner and a solid project manager.
Michael has an inspirational style and is very adept at quickly moving projects in the right direction while maintaining the overall integrity of the desired goals.
He has worked with Michael on several occasions, on visual branding projects.
He says that each of those occasions was a pleasant experience.
In Conclusion
Michael Stelzner has built a powerful business in Social Media Examiner. The business has built a community around the topic of social media marketing.
Mike is hailed as one of the top experts in social media marketing, and you should be inspired by the growth he has achieved.
Persistence and foresight have helped him build this business.
As you saw, he wanted a traditional life as a corporate worker, but events led him to another, more successful path.
No matter where you are at the moment, you should look for innovative ways of improving your business.
Perhaps social media marketing is the answer, and by following Michael Stelzner, you could soon reach your Nirvana.
