Social media has been a freeing enterprise, in that it grants people from all over the world the chance to make their voices heard. Unfortunately, not everyone has the insight to share. For this reason, those who genuinely want to better themselves and learn new skills and capabilities can easily be side-tracked into false promises, hollow insights, and lessons that might sound good but have very little practical use.

Of course, we’ve seen this with certain influencers, sometimes running full-scale scams all promising success and a shortcut to wealth. We’ve seen it with some consultants, who promise that if you only sign up for their twenty-step program, you too can excel in your business affairs.

The difficult part to navigate here is that there are actually experienced industry veterans who have messages of worth to offer. However, it can be hard to distinguish between them and those who have something comprised of pure marketing to sell.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to avoid false business insight and education. This way, your intent to learn and better yourself will not be used against you, and your time will never be wasted. In order to succeed in that approach, consider the following few parameters:

Alway Check Credentials

It’s important to consider the credentials of those “in your industry” who might be offering advice over a social media platform. If they seem to speak of their experience but rarely talk about specifics, only have a singular personal website to educate from, and there’s an immediate paywall after an enticing “free PDF,” with all of the information you need, then it’s good to think twice about moving forward.

However, if the individual has good qualifications, is actively running a business in that field, or has insight that seems to be freely offered without the demand for a return, then you can listen to it. Make sure not to adopt it automatically, but test the theory, and keep it in mind as a possible course of action instead of the sole route to success. This will help you mediate advice properly.

Opt For Official Educational Programs

Ultimately, tweets and articles can only really talk around the insight or offer anecdotes that may or may not apply to your situation. For this reason, it’s good to look to official sources offering genuine educational parameters designed for a real purpose.

For example, undergoing CISSP training online can prepare you for the correct qualification more than following those in the industry, as you’ll be getting direct advice, well incremented, and comprehensive so you yourself can become one with the skills needed to progress. 

It’s also important to remember that online figures may be remembering their insight from qualifications they took years ago, whereas a current-day educational course will be updated based on modern understanding. That’s essential, especially in the business field where markets, regulations, and standards often change.

There Are No Shortcuts

Anyone who promises you a shortcut in business has a vested interest in convincing you that their way is the right way. Think of official consultants, hired on an hourly or per-project basis. They’re here to help, but they also know they get paid based on how well your service does or how much you want to keep them around, and they’re already satiated by that agreed-upon quote.

For this reason, they don’t have the need to make up false issues, give you false roundabout insight, or do anything but help you craft a successful and well-managed enterprise. This serves as a microcosm worth considering, proving that there are no shortcuts to success, only the right process and the ability to follow processes in the correct manner.

Consider A Variety Of Sources

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with following industry figures, journalists or business personalities you think have something worthwhile to say. But make sure not to follow one figure. Like everyone, one person can be fallible, mistaken, or have biased interests without even realizing it.

That’s why it’s good to use a variety of news sources to verify the information you’re given, be that new regulations in the market or industry trends worth keeping an eye on. On top of this, you can make sure to verify claims through other authoritative sources in the market, making sure you never take something as truth and act upon it before such a conviction is verified.

You can also look to other practitioners of such advice and see if it works for them, after all, it’s the mark of a strong professional to learn from the mistakes of others.

With this advice, you’re sure to avoid false business and education without verifying the source.