Since I included a list of 50 reasons why people don’t use social media in my most recent post, I thought it only made sense to follow up with a similar list, only this time focusing on the opposing point of view, the reasons why people do use social media.

Sure, as I wrote in that last post about those who are reluctant to jump on the social media bandwagon, “there are still plenty of skeptics, detractors and naysayers among us, especially in the corporate world, where cautiousness and conservatism abound.”

But as I also pointed out, there are more than 800 million users of Facebook, over 120 million people on LinkedIn and more than 200 million accounts on Twitter. There’s certainly a critical mass of people using social media today, enough practitioners and proponents of these online communication platforms for those of us who are immersed in this space to be able to confidently draw the conclusion that this is no passing fad.

Why so many aficionados and devotees? Why all the fanfare? What’s the big deal? Ask anyone who uses social media on a regular basis what they like about it and they could probably go on forever. These are just some of the reasons you’d likely hear…

50 Reasons Why People Use Social Media

1. It’s my job.
2. I enjoy making new friends.
3. It’s a great way to keep up with the news.
4. I don’t want to be left behind.
5. I like sharing pictures and videos.
6. It’s how I stay in touch with friends, relatives, colleagues and clients.
7. It’s how everyone communicates nowadays.
8. It’s easy.
9. It helps my search engine rankings.
10. I like talking to celebrities.
11. It’s where I go for customer service.
12. It saves me time.
13. I like to express my opinions.
14. My favorite stores and brands are using it.
15. I use it to screen job candidates.
16. It’s free.
17. It’s where I turn for help and support.
18. I like the immediacy of it.
19. People expect me to be using it.
20. I’m a writer.
21. People answer questions about practically anything there.
22. I like to influence others.
23. I enjoy a good argument.
24. I use it to promote my work.
25. I like “listening” to others.
26. I’m lonely.
27. I’m not shy.
28. I need to keep up with the younger generation.
29. My employer encourages it.
30. I like being a “publisher” of my own content.
31. I use it for networking.
32. I like technology.
33. I like anything to do with the Internet.
34. I’m a people person.
35. I have to keep up with the competition.
36. It’s how customers and prospects find me.
37. I want to be known as a thought leader.
38. I care about my brand.
39. I like checking in from restaurants, concerts and other special events.
40. My online reputation is important to me.
41. It leads to sales.
42. It leads to donations.
43. I hate talking on the phone.
44. I’m tired of email.
45. I’m looking for a new job.
46. I’m in front of a computer all day anyway.
47. It’s fun.
48. I like the camaraderie.
49. I enjoy getting feedback.
50. I’d be bored without it.

There you have it – 50 reasons why people use social media. What other reasons have you heard people give for publishing a blog, establishing a presence on Facebook, using LinkedIn for networking and tweeting up a storm? Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on what I’ve written about in this post by leaving a comment below.

With more than 800 million users of Facebook, over 120 million people on LinkedIn and more than 200 million accounts on Twitter, you might say the tipping point’s been reached as far as social media usage goes.

Yet despite such a large critical mass using these social media properties, there are still plenty of skeptics, detractors and naysayers among us, especially in the corporate world, where cautiousness and conservatism abound.

As someone who’s been talking to anyone and everyone within earshot about the benefits of using social media since I launched my own blog in 2004, I know this for a fact: Unless you’re preaching to the choir, the life of a social media practitioner and proponent is often a lonely, uphill battle.

At this stage of the game, those of us with significant social media experience — and enthusiasm — are less likely to be surrounded by like-minded converts than to be facing opposition and resistance to this revolutionary, new way of online communications.

Why would someone be so reluctant to jump on the social media bandwagon? Let me count the ways. Seriously, I’ve heard so many explanations why some people won’t even try social media, I thought I’d pull them all together in one long list. Ask one of these holdouts why he or she doesn’t use social media and you could get any one, or more, of the following 50 reasons for an answer…  

50 Reasons Why People Don’t Use Social Media

1. I’m too busy.
2. It’s just a fad.
3. It’s only for young people.
4. It’s not my job.
5. What would I say?
6. I’m successful without it.
7. I’m not interesting enough.
8. It terrifies me.
9. I’ll get a lot of spam.
10. It’s a waste of time.
11. I’m afraid of getting negative comments and criticism.
12. I prefer to use the phone.
13. There’s no ROI.
14. I can’t write.
15. I know nothing about computers.
16. I don’t like to brag.
17. I have enough friends already.
18. It takes too much time.
19. I don’t want anyone to see my picture.
20. It’s impersonal.
21. I don’t want complete strangers following me.
22. I don’t care what someone else had for lunch.
23. I’d rather meet in person.
24. I’m too shy.
25. I don’t want the responsibility.
26. I’m in front of the computer enough already.
27. It’ll get you into trouble.
28. I don’t want to get hacked.
29. I don’t know how to use it.
30. I like my privacy.
31. I don’t want anyone at the office to know anything about my personal life.
32. It’s too complicated.
33. I guess I’m just old-fashioned.
34. I’ve got better things to do with myself.
35. I just don’t get it.
36. I don’t like change.
37. My computer will get a virus.
38. I’m too tired.
39. I’m too old.
40. It’s too personal.
41. I’m afraid I’ll be stalked.
42. My company doesn’t allow it.
43. I don’t have a smartphone.
44. I don’t want to embarrass myself.
45. I have too much to lose.
46. I prefer email.
47. I don’t want my friends from high school to find me.
48. There’s too much to learn.
49. It’s too much work.
50. I wouldn’t know where to begin.

There you have it – 50 reasons why people don’t use social media. What other reasons have you heard people give for not publishing a blog, establishing a presence on Facebook, keeping a LinkedIn profile up to date and showing up at least once in a while on Twitter? Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on what I’ve written about in this post by leaving a comment below.

Related Resources and Information

Facebook Now Has 800 Million Users (Mashable)
LinkedIn Now Adding Two New Members Every Second (TechCrunch) 
Twitter Celebrates 5 Years and 200 Million Users (AOL News)

Don’t tell me social media isn’t personal.

Sure, it’s not the same thing as actually sitting down and talking to someone in person, face-to-face. But it’s often the next best thing. And in some cases, it’s the only thing.

Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like is a great way to connect with people who otherwise might not give you the time of the day because they’re either too busy or have reason to believe they have little in common with you.

Social media is also perfect for keeping in touch with people who it’s impossible to meet up with in person because they simply live or work too far away.

For example, my friend, Amelia, is situated some 3,000 miles away from me in Seal Beach, California. We’re both copywriters. We’re both runners. We’re both former Toastmasters. And she used to live in Sudbury, Massachusetts, where I live now.

Clearly, we have a lot in common. But we hardly ever have the opportunity to see each other anymore. Except — you guessed it — via social media.

In this case, on one of my recent runs, I happened to take and upload a photo of the scene, a meandering trail through the woods that apparently is one that the Lincoln-Sudbury High School cross country teams have been running on for years.

After seeing this photo on Facebook, Amelia left a comment about a steep hill off of that trail that she used to run up and down as a member of the school’s cross country team back in the day.

So the next time I was working out in those woods, I went one step further and recorded a short video clip on my climb up that legendary hill and posted that on Facebook, too…

Well, she was so taken by the memories of seeing that hill again, she wrote a blog post about it, saying…

“Bob posted this [video] on my wall. It was one of the kindest, unexpected random acts a friend has ever done for me.”

What a pleasant surprise that was to me, to see just how much my spontaneous, seemingly small act of sharing on Facebook meant to Amelia.

And when she thanked me for that video on Twitter, I was more than happy to RT her, of course.

Now I’m talking about a real friendship between Amelia and I, as we’ve known each other for years. But whether you’re friends with someone or not, whether you’re a business or an individual, social media can be used to close the gap between distance and anything else that may get in the way of more traditional communications methods. Social media can – and should –  be personal.

By the way, here’s the video I recorded while running up that legendary hill in the woods near Lincoln-Sudbury High School…

If you can’t see the video in this blog post, you can view it on YouTube by clicking here.
To read Amelia Ostroff’s blog, 623 Tries, click here.
To follow Amelia Ostroff on Twitter, click here.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already know about the  ”10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media” series of posts I started writing on January 13 of this year and recently concluded on April 5. But what you wouldn’t know is how much I’ve been looking forward to stringing these posts together into one exhaustive guide on how to communicate effectively via the blogosphere, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other such Internet-based platforms.  

In this 2,700-word series, I took a long view of social media, focusing on the principles that people in this space need to keep in mind, not necessarily the day-to-day tactics. After all, despite the widespread adoption of social media, it’s still very misunderstood. As I wrote in the introduction to this series…

…social media isn’t rocket science. But it’s definitely a BIG departure for those who have been dependent on traditional marketing, advertising, PR and communications methods up until now.

So if you’d like to read the entire series — “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media” —  in one fell swoop, click here. Or simply click on the fourth tab over at the top of this blog. That’s where I’ve archived this entire series. For your convenience, I’ve also listed each post in this series below with its corresponding link.

By the way, I’m always interested in hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any feedback for me – anytime. Thanks.

To read the entire “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media” series, click here.

To read each post in this series, one at a time, follow the links below…

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part One
Adopt the right company culture.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Two
Set realistic expectations.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Three
Create enough quality content.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Four
Stand for your brand.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Five
Work as a team.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Six
Leverage a number of channels.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Seven
Overcome the social media “dip.”
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Eight
Educate others more than you promote yourself.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Nine
Measure the results of your activities.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Ten
Don’t take yourself too seriously.

This “blog post on video” was recorded on May 1, 2010. It’s the video version of a post I wrote and published on February 23, 2010 called “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Six,” which you can read in its entirety here.

If you can’t see the video on this page, you can check it out on my YouTube channel by clicking here.

Bob Cargill is a copywriter, creative director and social media marketer who helps brands to strategize, develop and implement successful new marketing programs. He is always interested in new speaking, consulting and freelancing opportunities.

To contact Bob, click here.

It’s that time of year again. The New England Direct Marketing Association’s annual conference is just around the corner — May 12 and 13 at the LaCava Center at Bentley College in Waltham, MA. And just like year, I’m happy to have the opportunity to speak not just once, but twice on social media, this time around on “Understanding Social Media, from Theory to Tactics” (9:00 AM-3:30 PM, May 12) and “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media” (8:30 AM-9:45 AM, May 13).

“Understanding Social Media, from Theory to Tactics”
In my all-day workshop on May 12, I’ll show participants how to attract attention, pique curiosity, stimulate engagement and develop new business opportunities via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and the blogosphere. From the mechanics to the principles to the so-called three A’s  — ability, affability and availability — of social media (to learn more about the three A’s, see my Blog Post on Video: The Three A’s of Social Media Branding), you’ll learn the steps you need to take to position yourself as an opinion leader and authority, someone who’s worthy of your audience’s trust, support and patronage. I’ll cover…

– How to use Twitter to get referrals, leads and potential new customers
– What — and when — your fans really want to hear from you on Facebook
– Why every organization ought to have its own YouTube channel
– Where LinkedIn fits in to your brand’s social media program
– How to publish a blog that gets rave reviews
– And much more

“10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media”
The next day, May 13, I’ll be taking the 2,700-word blog post series — “10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media” — I wrote and published recently right here on A New Marketing Commentator and turning it into a 75-minute presentation. Among other things, I’ll talk about…

– When it’s the right time to commit serious resources to social media
– Why it’s so important in this day and age for marketers to be as transparent, authentic and as extemporaneous as possible
– How an endless stream of your own quality content will separate you from the competition
– Where to find the best audience for your products and services on today’s social web
– What specific steps you need to take to position yourself as a thought leader, community builder and brand to be admired
– And much more

Between these two presentations, I’m looking forward to sharing everything I know about this transformative means of online communications. So if you’re in interested in learning more about social media, please consider attending my presentations. I’d be delighted — and honored — to see you there.

To learn more about the New England Direct Marketing Association’s upcoming annual conference, click here.

Bob Cargill is a copywriter, creative director and social media marketer who helps brands to strategize, develop and implement successful new marketing programs. He is always interested in new speaking, consulting and freelancing opportunities. To contact Bob, click here.

10. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Your success in social media may be dependent in large measure on what you have to share with others, but how you come across – your online persona – is also very important.    

Whether you’re on Facebook or YouTube, tweeting or blogging, you need to be as affable as you are knowledgeable, as charismatic as you are smart. You need to lighten up.

Sure, many of the most effective social media practitioners are opinionated and authoritative, natural born leaders at the top of their fields. But if you take a closer look, you’ll find that they’re also easygoing and deferential, not afraid to share some of their personal lives with their professional peers. They’re approachable and responsive, people who are comfortable having impromptu, informal conversations with a diverse range of constituents.

As I said before (Blog Post on Video: The Three A’s of Social Media Branding)…

Skills alone will only get you so far in social media. You need to humanize your brand identity. Those who are most popular in social media are those who have the best bedside manners, the most engaging personalities.  They are amiable and congenial, generous and kind, people who are as good at listening as they are teaching, as humble and humorous as they are confident in their abilities.

Yes, when all is said and done, social media won’t work very well for the aloof or the arrogant, those who play their hands close to the vest and can’t crack a smile. Social media works best for those who take their work, not themselves, seriously.

This is the tenth in a 10-post series on how to succeed in social media. I’ll be publishing the entire series as one long post and/or possibly even an eBook soon. If you have any feedback on either this post or the entire series, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Thanks.

Previous Posts in This Series…

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part One
Adopt the right company culture.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Two
Set realistic expectations.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Three
Create enough quality content.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Four
Stand for your brand.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Five
Work as a team.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Six
Leverage a number of channels.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Seven
Overcome the social media “dip.”
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Eight
Educate others more than you promote yourself.
10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Nine
Measure the results of your activities.