If it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +, is it social media? When companies, and individuals you don’t know inundate your time line or feed with stuff you really don’t want to hear is it social media? I had been wondering what has happened to social media now that we get “paid Tweets” or “paid Facebook” posts. Is this also social media? Here is a definition of social media I can get behind. “Media for which the consumer’s relationship with the creator is relevant for understanding or value.” So what do we call those paid posts? “If you don’t know the people, or don’t care, it’s probably not social media. It’s just media. It doesn't matter if it’s created by an individual or a corporation.”
“What’s more, when companies use social media...well, they’re not. They may be using platforms that are primarily used for social media (like Facebook) or platforms that are used for social media, among other things (like Twitter), but that doesn't make the companies—or their media—social.”
The above eye opening quotes can be found here. They we’re written by Evan Williams, founder of Twitter and Blogger.