My own opinion is yes in general. However it is necessary for websites to generate income to operate.

My solution is to have 2 advertising areas. The site and modules are not for advertising in general. We are a themed niche site so its possible for us to attract adverts from companies in our niche which are beneficial to our members.

But overall, yes is my answer.

When I think about my use of social media, interacting with companies and firms is not a regular part of it. My big question is “Why? What’s in it for me?” For example my bank and the place I brought my car from have Facebook pages. Why should I “like them”? Simply because I patronize them now or in the past? What types of things are going to pop up in my newsfeed now that I ‘like’ you? In all honesty, I don’t log into Facebook to interact with my bank. So the purpose must be clear and advantageous for the customer. By large, I just don’t see that happening.

I can see why some idealists may feel that marketers should keep out. But you could make the same argument about TV, or radio, or newspapers. None of these are primarily for advertising, and nobody has somewhere they choose to go to be “marketed at”. Marketers always go where people are going to be anyway. Subways, bus shelters, your own home…why should social media be any different?

People are becoming more aware of blogs and their purpose, which is most of the time to do a sale involving “sales pitching.” Therefore as people become more aware of those sales techniques, blogging is also becoming as commercialized as social media. However if you compare two social media sites such as Facebook and Tagged, they both let people interact with each other, but my opinion is that Facebook is more successful because it’s more open on their posts, on the other hand Tagged is more closed as per the postings on their wall is referred, so it makes it more difficult for them to succeed.

Finally, we need to be careful with the tools we use for advertising, as if you only use those medias for advertising and not interacting with people, you will be marked as an advertiser instead of a human being or friend.

Consider that social media membership is FREE and that people SHOP, so having events, brands, using it for social marketing is OK. It’s part of the fun, like kids who enjoy commercials and ask their parents to buy those products. Companies that spend on brand ing and commercials and ads, are the ones that consumers remember when they go out to shop later on.

Somebody has got to pay the bills and these are never going to be clubs that people pay dues for, so advertising is here forever. Like everything though, there can be too much and too much just isn’t Sexy.

It’s inevitable. Where ever two or more are gathered an ad is sure to follow.

Facebook users can click the “hide” link on annoying, spammy posts, which prevents posts from that entity displaying in the future. A company may believe it has 5,000 fb friends, but in reality many if not most of these will have hit the “hide” button.
The trick of using fb to promote a product or service is to set up their account in the name of a real person who will interact with otrher users in the normal way – posting links to videos, commenting on the weather, responding to other users’ messages etc – and occasionally – and judiciously – posting promotional messages, special offers and so on, for the company they represent. This person would, in effect, be a social media ambassador for the company, much like a PR agent but specializing in social networking via facebook, Twitter, GPlus and so on.
He or she would have to be intelligent, presentable, friendly, tactful, articulate and obviously be good at relating to people. A degree in psychology, or at least some knowledge of psychology, would be an asset. And if any high-paying corporation out there is interested in hiring the perfect person for the job, I can be reached at…..

If your sole purpose for having a business page on Facebook is to push your product, you’re missing the core of what Chris Crum’s article is about: social media is for building relationships. If you use this medium to connect with your consumers, you have a chance to listen to what is important to them. Build your experience around that, and you’ll optimize this space. I think social can be a differentiator for those who have a choice in where they spend their dollars.

Definitely. I just can’t keep on top of all the ads that I am bombarded with. At the end of the day, I want to see what my friends are up to on Facebook or Twitter, and not interested in knowing more about how a company’s product, service or solution will do wonders for me!
And while there are browser extensions to turn of google ads, unfortunately there are none for Facebook.

Yes I think it is it would seem the answer to that would be to have investors to buy stock in the the Social Media companies the common cosumer should not have to see advertisements on these Social Media Sites mainy because I think it can be hinderance to devices

I can understand the advertising, these companies need operating money. However The placements and size of the ad’s matter too. Ad’s that are not to intrusive and take away from the user experience are OK, placement of the ad’s should be kept uniform and not all over the place. I don’t think marketing is hurting the social networks, then again I may be biased as I’m one of those Marketers.