I hear them all… the excuses why people aren’t using social media to market their services.  But Forrester has been studying social media and here are some interesting facts to consider:

• 98% of business decision-makers read blogs, watch videos or listen to podcasts.
• At least 8 out of 10 online users engage in social media.
• Over 86% of online US adults engage in social media.
• One-third of all US online users use mobile devices to access social networking sites at least monthly.
• 81% of business decision-makers use Facebook at least monthly.

So, let’s disarm some of the most common excuses:

• I don’t have time… it takes mere minutes to post status and share information once you get familiar with the tools.
• I’m too old/I don’t care about social media… your clients and competitors hire you for your experience and wisdom.  They are using these tools every day while you’re becoming outdated by avoiding them.
• No one is listening anyway… Hmmm… check out the stats above and if that isn’t enough, what about the search engines that are using social media as a key contributor to search results? Oh, and reporters are listening very closely to twitter as a primary source of breaking news.
• I don’t know how to use the tools… take advantage of the many tutorials & trainings. Heck, even your teenager can teach you!

Any one have anything to add? Don’t be afraid of adding social media to your mix. It is easy and fun, really!