Another year has passed and I’m left wondering, “Where did all that time go?” The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. As I was thinking about the many highlights of my past year—both personal and professional, I realized how much social media has played a part in both. It dawned on me just how much I use it and how much time I spend doing so. Might that be why my time flies so fast? You be the judge. 
In the spirit of year-end lists, I’ll share with you my top five reasons for using social media (for me, it’s mostly Facebook and Twitter):
- To Remember Birthdays: Lord knows, without Facebook, there is absolutely no way in you-know-what I would actually remember the birthdays of my dozens (yes, many DOZENS) of cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws, let alone the hundreds of friends whom I never even spoke to in real life or haven’t seen since 1993. But, somehow, it feels good to post a nice little “Have a wonderful Birthday!” on the walls of my family and “friends.” I know, it’s one post of many on their wall, but it’s that three seconds of thought that counts, right?
- To Find Things to Do: Not only have I learned of some great professional events and PR webinars from Twitter, I’ve also found out about some fun events and places in my city. I’ve attended craft fairs I wouldn’t have known about otherwise; ordered tickets to a show from links posted on Twitter; purchased sale items from a store or online because it was posted on Facebook and checked out many business Facebook pages for store hours, menus and other important information. I even sent a tweet to a restaurant I only knew about because of Twitter asking if they were “family-friendly.” Their immediate response lead to us going there—more than once. It is now one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. (Hi, @Bocktown!) Hard to believe I used to flip through the big ‘ole Yellow Pages for store information, relied on advertisements in the newspaper for upcoming sales or flyers posted at my workplace for details about professional seminars. I’m not saying the old way is bad, I just don’t pay as much attention to those methods anymore. For a business to cast a wider net and to engage in meaningful relationships with its audience or customers, it is imperative they have a presence in social media. After all, it beats paying for an ad in the Yellow Pages, doesn’t it? (By the way, anyone know of a place that recycles those books? I have about 10 I’ve never even opened.)
- To Stay on Top of the News: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to update my husband on a sports score (note: I don’t watch sports) simply by checking Twitter. We’ve changed a travel route because of a tweet posted by a TV news traffic reporter about an accident or unusual backup. And, like many of you, I’ve learned sad news because it was instantly posted on Facebook or Twitter—like the untimely deaths of Steve Jobs, Clarence Clemons and Amy Winehouse. The news of Osama Bin Laden’s capture and death was almost instantly confirmed by White House staffers who quickly set in motion a plan for President Obama to address the nation. I think it’s safe to say that never before in our nation’s history has news broken so quickly from so far way. I still love my newspapers but for breaking news, I rely on Twitter.
- To Get Advice: Remember when you would call a friend to get their opinion on an outfit or a new book to read? Now, I can simply pose a question on Facebook or Twitter and get a wide variety of opinions. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it’s quicker than playing phone tag with a friend. This summer, I asked my Twitter followers what I should rename my Twitter handle since I was leaving my job at the time. It was because of their creative advice and feedback that I settled on @JustHollieG. I’m happy with it—and not sure I would have come up with it on my own.
- To Broaden My Universe: I have met many wonderful people through Twitter and I know for a fact that our paths would not have crossed otherwise. But, because of Twitter and Facebook, I’ve also found the universe to be much smaller than I thought. People I never imagined would know each other (because they are from different eras of my life) surprisingly are connected on Facebook. How many times have you seen that happen? Where the childhood friend from your old neighborhood is a mutual friend of a coworker or business colleague, several hours and many years removed from your childhood home? It really is strange but kind of cool, too.
Honestly, I could list 100 reasons why I use social media, but to keep this list manageable, I have shared five. Tell me why you use social media and please, feel free to share funny stories too. Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous, interesting and social-media-filled New Year!
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Hollie Geitner is vice president, Client Services for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @JustHollieG
