Never Doubt What Nobody is Sure About

In Hollywood, the promise of social media was that it would enable celebrities to communicate directly with their fans and expand their followings. The reality of social media is that it’s become a major channel for advertisers to target consumers. And unless you’re really paying attention, you’ll be hard-pressed to know whether what you’re reading is a real opinion or a marketing message (bet on the latter). From the NYT’s Sapna Maheshwari: Paid $75,000 to Love a Brand on Instagram. But Is It an Ad?