I’ve been in many discussions with people who are insistent that I call “it” social media instead of new media.

In my view there is a growing component to social media that has nothing to do with social. It is not social…it is all about business.

Companies are attempting to sell product, connect with customers and influencers, launch programs, scan product reviews online and measure.

This is anything but social media. My view is companies do not know how to be social, so they should drop the facade.

Ever read an online exchange between a company representative and a consumer?  If it is a customer complaint about service or a defective product then it is authentic. Why? Because both sides are working to the same end. If it’s about anything else, it is not authentic. That representative is not speaking from the heart. He or she is trying to sell the consumer on a new product, event, promotion or new marketing initiative. Or get the consumer to take action on the company’s behalf. Ain’t real, and it comes off like it.

Now, read an online conversation between two people with different points of view. Say, an exchange between two people with differing opinions about national health care. Now, that is authentic.

There is a way for companies to be “social” but a company must give the employees the freedom to talk openly about their lives as an employee of the company. Take Zappos, for example. Those employees are tweeting about their lives.  ”Am at the coffee shop.” “Great sales meeting today.” ” Just met the chairwoman of the board of Xerox and she is cool.” Snapshots of their lives, and interesting to some.

And yes, getting people to engage on behalf of a cool new contest can be very effective. Those people want to write and video about their experiences…so it is personal.

But, tweeting, facebooking, youtubing, flickring, or using any other new media outlet to deliver messages in the name of a company is not personal and, by default, it is not social. It’s advertising. Or selling. Or marketing.

Now trust me on this…this will be the only time I ever quote Sara Palin. However, she is right when she says, “how’s that touchy feely thing workin’ out for ya?”

Companies make, market, sell, and service product lines. And they should use new media to do that. And if a company wants to engage social media, then you will need to reach into the personal lives of employees and consumers, engage them, and live with what they publish.

That’s why I call it new media. Because it’s media serving many masters, and only one of them is social media.