Interesting reports are now coming out in the pre-IPO of Facebook regarding the reason as to why General Motors went public with a condemnation of social media. It seems GM was attempting to force the hand of Social Media Giant. Why? General Motors was dissatisfied with the size of the ads they were being allowed to place (banner ads) and wanted to do full-screen take-overs, according to AdAge as reported by Mashable Mashable.
What does this mean to you who recreationally enjoy Facebook? 
SPAM. General Motors was interested in a hostile SPAM takeover of your entire Facebook screen for a predetermined amount of time. This stance from Facebook does raise questions for the future of social media. How do you advertise to such a large group and gain a voice and turn that voice into revenue? Post Facebook IPO there are more questions than answers, though it is clear that Facebook will now have to make a significant amount of money to satisfy investors and advertisers alike.
Questions remain, like what will be the rate of return from a filtered and restricted Facebook be? How will the “promoted posts” perform in connecting with target buyers? Will social media be a viable social platform or merely a medium for SPAM? Even with all these questions, I still think the power of social media lies with the small business. Small business has the capability of connecting with a wider range of people through collaboration.
One thing for sure, with the ability of hind sight the condemnation from GM was a camouflage for an oversized toddler tantrum. I thank Facebook for turning down GM – I only ask GM not to bite the floor during their next tantrum.
