Hi, I am Chris “Silver” Smith, a Social Media Expert Witness.
I decided to set up this website devoted to my social media litigation work because it is pretty unique compared to my role as the founder and consultant of Argent Media, a Dallas-based agency that focuses on Social Media Management, Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”), Content Marketing, Internet Advertising, Crisis Communications, and Online Reputation Management.
I have gained considerable experience over time involving Social Media. As a technologist and leading SEO strategist at Verizon, I initially became interested in social media because I predicted it would be something that search engines would consider a potentially important factor in determining rankings of web content. Social media does indeed impact web rankings — although not due to values or scores unique and proprietary to individual social media platforms. (For instance, search engines do not use numbers seen on social profiles such as in Instagram or Twitter, and search engines do not use numbers of “likes” to determine importance of content — they use other signals, including link analysis.) However, once I began researching how social media influenced search engines, I began determining how to optimize social media to perform better.
In my agency role, I have often provided clients with Social Media Management, which typically involves us setting up social media accounts, optimizing social media profiles, linking them up with client websites, and curating and posting content on behalf of the client. In this way, Argent Media has channeled the personality of large companies, small companies, and prominent individuals by operating their social media accounts. This has also entailed conducting social media advertising campaigns and other types of activities with the accounts in order to obtain and grow follower numbers.
Based on this experience, along with my background in technology development and internet analytics, I have provided services to litigants as a Social Media Expert Witness. This has involved a variety of tasks that have included:
- Programmatic analysis of hundreds of social media posts at scale
- Automated sentiment analysis of hundreds of social media posts
- Expertise in Facebook, Twitter/X.com, Instagram, Tumblr, WordPress, YouTube, Flickr, and TikTok
- Forensic investigations to determine which social media account manager(s) conducted hostile changes in Facebook and Instagram accounts in order to sabotage them or to hijack the accounts
- Forensic investigations to detect and document deleted postings published by prominent social media influencers, including reality TV stars and other celebrities
- Analysis to determine the search engine optimization influence of social media marketing campaigns
- Determination of the audience reach of content, such as defamatory or trademark-infringing posts
- Valuations of social media accounts, such as YouTube channels and Instagram accounts
- Social media monitoring or surveillance of private social media accounts or groups, such as Facebook groups for purposes of competitive intelligence or opposition research
- Investigations to determine employee or partner motivations as exhibited through social media engagement
- Social media investigation for purposes of vetting key employee or executive hires
- Investigation of anonymous social media accounts or impersonation accounts to attempt to determine identity of those operating them
- Assistance in petitioning for removal of infringing content, impersonation accounts, or illegal content that damages or infringes on personal privacy, such as in porn revenge cases or other reputation attack campaigns
Overall, I have an extensive background as a social media expert. If you have a potential legal case involving top social media platforms, call me to discuss what may be possible.