There are many excuses people make about why they don't jump into social media. Some claim they don't have time. Others say they don't have the technical expertise or web savvy. A few say they don't have permission from their organization or that the appropriate policies haven't been created yet.
There are lots of reasons people don't try social media for their business. Ultimately, they don't try it because they're not convinced it will work. If they really thought social media would help them they would find the time, learn the skills, and get the necessary permission. At the heart of the excuses is an underlying suspicion about social media's true worth.
The rationale for staying away from social media is usually put in terms of "can't" language, meaning the person or organization has a list of reasons why they cannot or are not able to try social media. Every "can't" excuse sounds like a lack of ability like there's something precluding the effort. The irony here, however, is that social media tools are probably the most accessible, easy to use, affordable (usually free) marketing and customer engagement tools ever available...and therein lies the rub.
What I have found is that although many people will claim a "can't" excuse, the real issue is a "won't" excuse. If "can't" excuses are connected to a person's ability, then "won't" excuses are connected to a person's desire. Almost everybody can use social media tools. They're really that easy to find and use. Using the tools correctly is another discussion altogether, but for today I just want to encourage you to examine your excuses if you're still making them. Don't use "can't" excuses anymore when what you've really been thinking are "won't" excuses out of a lack of desire.
The single biggest factor for social media success is desire. The barriers to entry have been lowered to ridiculous levels. Anyone can be a professional marketer now. If you have the desire, you will find the time, learn any additional skills you need, and take the leap whether you have permission or not. The only sufficient excuse for not trying social media is that you are not interested. I may not agree with you and would likely try to convince you otherwise, but at least we're being honest about the situation now.
The degree of your desire will determine the success of your social media efforts. It's not a matter of skills, time, money, permission, etc. The only thing standing in the way of social media success is you.