Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ten reasons not to read that top 10 social media post


Confusing title, huh? Well, that confusion has brought you here, so that's good, right?

Maybe not. But I can't help but notice all the information out there regarding how to successfully run a blog, a Facebook page or a Twitter profile. This information usually comes in packages of 10, but it's not uncommon to see five packs, seven packs or eight packs. Personally, I think those people shot for 10 ideas but ran out way faster than they thought.

I've set out for 10 ideas in this post, but we'll see how it goes. I'm not promising anything. I'm no better than the people who write seven or eight reasons. In fact, I'm worse.

10. You don't have time for ten reasons

You're a busy person. We all are. Who has the time to read 10 reasons to do or not to do anything? Honestly, if I'm given one really good reason to do something or not to do something, that's usually good enough for me. I'm sold. Call me cheap. It's how I roll. I understand you put a lot of thought into reaching ten ideas on one subject, but I just don't have the attention span for that many ideas. In fact, I'm already bored with this post.

9. Because of Reason 10, you only read the first few reasons anyway

When you're a one-reason person living in a 10-reason world, it's tough to get all the way through a blog post. I read the 10 reasons posts just as much as the next guy, but you usually lose me after about Reason 3. If those three reasons are good enough, I'm not so sure I need to go any further. So I'll skim. Yeah, there was nothing decent after Reason 3 anyway.

8. Reasons are really opinions being sold as hard facts

You'll see the blog posts that guarantee success if you follow the 10 steps laid out. You'll follow the 10 steps and wind up unsuccessful. You'll then determine yourself to be a failure and threaten to kill your Twitter profile. Don't to it. I need someone to compete with. But while the 10 reasons may come from credible sources, they're really just a list of things the poster has done that ended up working. Those 10 things may not work for you. That's just the way it is. In social media, not much is fully proven to be successful every time, except spouting off opinions as if they're facts. That works extremely well.

7. People post 10 things just to get retweeted

Yeah, that's why I'm doing it. So? The word "ten" and the number "10" are two of the most commonly retweeted words, according to some source I likely found on a top ten list. Getting retweeted is good for all of us. I happen to suck at it. That's why I'm writing this post: strictly for the retweets. But I won't get any. You won't do it. (That's a challenge. I think you should).

6. Ten reasons lists are too simliar

I can't tell you how many times I've read multiple top 10 lists and found the same reasons over and over. I get it already. Don't tweet while drunk. Understood. I know most people who spend their lives drunk need to be reminded of a lot of things over and over, like where they live. But I read all top 10 lists completely sober. If I didn't, I wouldn't tweet about it anyway.

5. Ten reasons lists are too dissimilar

There is so much conflicting information out there in top 10 lists. Should I follow everyone and hope they follow me back? Should I hope people just find me and determine that I'm interesting enough to follow? I don't know, but I've got two top 10 lists telling me to do two different things. What should I do? Oh, yeah. Refer to Reason 8.

4. I've run out of reasons

See? Told you it would happen. So now I have to think up some desperate reasons to reach 10 and not get yelled at by you. So now the following items are going to be throw-away reasons. I should have just created a top six list.

3. Anyone can write a top 10 list

This reason is similar to Reason 8, you say? I told you these last few would be throw-aways. But it's important to note that anyone can come up with 10 reasons to do something or not do something when it comes to social media. That kills the credibility of top 10 lists. Anyone can blog, too. So I guess I'm taking down the whole Internet with this list.

2. Ten reasons make you feel comfortable

Reading a top 10 list is like wrapping a nice, warm blanket around yourself. It feels nice. It feels like home. We love the number 10. Ten commandments. Ten-day forecast. Ten-gallon hat. Ten just works because it's a nice round number that doesn't cause disorder, like seven does. I hate 7. It messes everything up. What's 7+6? I can never remember. I blame 7.

1. You don't need reassurance

Seriously, you don't. As long as you're not spamming people or letting your social media profiles sit idle for days at a time, you're doing social media right. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and whether you're using social media for fun or for business, each case is unique. Only you can determine the right things and the wrong things to do. Sure, researching tips and tricks is awesome, and educating yourself is always a great thing to do. But you don't need me (especially) or anyone else to reaffirm that you're doing something right or wrong. Success comes from trial and error, and it's never too late to try something new. Figure it out for yourself. Then, write a top 10 list.

As always, you can follow me on Twitter @JayAdams70.

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