So a Maven, a Ninja and a Guru all walk into a bar...

We've all heard the thousands of terms used to describe social media "experts" - so what's in a name? Here are 3 of the most popular terms and what they mean:

Maven (n.): "Maven" comes to us from the Hebrew, by way of Yiddish. In Hebrew, "mavin" means "he knows". So a "maven" is someone in the know, a real expert, or maybe sometimes just a self-styled expert. - Sharon Ann

Typically - I reserve Maven for any woman who is a social media expert. This means she leads the way in developing new ways to do social, and stays on top of the new sites that are coming out.

Ninja (n.): a person who must assume many roles, navigate the darkness, and stay on the path of the true. - SocialMediaNinja.net

Ninjas are definitely new to the game. They're more excited about new products and marketing ideas than either the Mavens or the Gurus. They also tend to be more prone to the work hard, play harder mentality! Additionally, they seem to be more about the "sneak attack;" surprising you when you least expect it. Definitely up and comers.

Guru (n.): an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader; any person who counsels or advises; mentor; a leader in a particular field - Dictionary.com

Gurus have been in the social media marketing game for 10+ years. They have the best understanding of what works and why. They also have a more traditional marketing mind-set.

What do you consider yourself? A maven, a ninja or a guru? Or perhaps I should introduce you to the term n00b?

Pictures from: Greg Verdino's Blog, @SocialMediaNNJA, Wikipedia