Originally published at The Social Path

Yes, I
know. We’re all tired of lists. But studies have shown that they’re
still the most effective way to list things, and I can’t argue with
science.

Myth No. 2: It’s for kids.

It’s no myth that young people (especially young women) make up the
lion’s share of social-media users. But people in their teens and 20s
simply have those two things that help keep the world moving forward: A
lack of inhibitions, and an abundance of free time.

Really, it’s all in where you go. There are social networks and
user-generated sites specific to any age range, or spanning every
demographic. Wander around Facebook, and you’ll probably notice that
the average age hovers near 23. Over at the model ship-building forum, I’m guessing the demo skews a bit more toward the Barcalounger.

Myth No. 3: There are rules.

There’s no right or wrong way to write a blog, post on Twitter, use a social networking site or do anything else on the Web.

Sure, bad etiquette can get you dismissed as a spammer or a lowlife.
But chances are, you’re neither of those things, so don’t sweat it.

Experiment, have fun, be creative. If you want to post one-sentence
poems about zoo animals, so be it. Some people will hate it and tell
you “you’re doing it wrong,” but if it’s your thing, then who cares?

An obvious caveat: If you’re doing social media for a company,
government agency, etc., then you should learn the ins and outs of
kosher behavior before you go traipsing into a community. But then
again, no one wants to blend in so well that you don’t stick out at all.

Myth No. 4: You have to be everywhere.

When you first embrace social media, it can feel empowering. Then,
as you start setting up accounts all over creation, it quickly becomes
overwhelming.

There’s too much out there. And that’s OK. Find the sites you like,
and make them your own. Keep your feelers out for new sites that are
even better suited to you, but don’t obsess over it.

This is especially true for businesses. Gone are the days of having
a corporate presence on every possible social site. Be strategic, and
stay focused on the places you can really carve out a following.

It’s always better to be great at one thing than to be mediocre at everything.

Myth No. 5: “I’ve already tried social media.”

I’ve heard some variation of this more often than you might think.
I’ve had friends and coworkers say they don’t like social media because
they didn’t like Friendster. Or because they wrote a blog in 2003 that
maxed out at 10 readers, all related by blood.

Businesses can be just as guilty, eschewing new sites and
communities because “we tried that a few years back.” Even if their
early social-media outreach worked, some folks still say, “We already
did that.”

I find this whole outlook strange, like someone not wanting to ever
talk again because they had a mediocre conversation a few years back.

Social media is a great big world, and you’re bound to find that
most of it doesn’t suit your fancy. That’s OK. But the nice thing is,
every time you look around, you’ll find plenty of new things to try.

And if you’ve “done it before,” then try it again. Chances are,
you’ll do quite a bit better this time around. As someone writing for
his seventh blog, I have to hope that’s the case.

Editor’s Pick by Kelby Carr of KelbyCarr.com. One reason I picked this is simply because I love reading most anything David Griner writes. This is one of the first posts on his relatively new blog about social media. I think these 5 misconceptions about this realm can prove helpful for both the blogger considering a dabble and the corporation who thinks it is, as David writes, a passing fad.

David Griner is a writer and social-media analyst for Luckie & Company, which is how I first met him (his agency represents the Asheville, NC tourism office, which is one of my web clients). He’s also a contributor to Adweek’s blog, AdFreak.com. He is also a fellow newspaper journalist turned web writer. This post on social media appeared in The Social Path, a blog written by David which is described as “a jargon-free journey through the world of social media.”