It is important to consider that, since there are so many social media sites, and everybody has their chosen few sites they use, that most people would need some sort of reason to check out steemit or some specific feature to ring them in. Most sites that pay their users have some way they make money themselves and thus have some sort of catch, thus making skeptics. Since steemit works off the blockchain and can literally make money, the above doesnt apply. That said though, until that is explained, people tend to be suspicious.