[To the blog](https://88lab.eu/en/blog/) [Digital Marketing](https://88lab.eu/en/category/%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3/)[Social Media](https://88lab.eu/en/category/soczialni-mrezhi/) # The Risk of Social Media Marketing Evgeny Dimitrov 10 April 2022 5 min read  In this article + [Let's discuss your project](https://88lab.eu/en/contact/) Marketing decisions are difficult. Paid advertising, search engine optimization, social media, content marketing - all of these involve sending messages to an audience. The risk of social media marketing.. Depending on the channel, the marketer may not control the content, its distribution, or even the audience. In that case, a media channel classification model can help marketers think about communications in a more integrated way. One such model is PESO - paid, earned, shared, owned. By organizing tactics into paid, earned, shared, and owned media, you can better understand which channel creates more value, who owns the opportunities to promote content, and who controls distribution. ### PESO vs PEO Social media platforms are an important part of “shared” integrated marketing. However, some social-minded marketers disagree about the “shared” aspect, preferring three media distinctions instead of PESO’s four and grouping shared media platforms - for example Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok - with the “owned” category. One could argue that reducing PESO to PEO still achieves the goal of helping people think about communications more strategically. It is a mistake to assume that every company owns the content in its social media. It is harmful if that means a company will focus on a channel that is outside its control. ### Point of distinction When marketers apply the PESO model, it is important to consider content, audience, and distribution. These three points distinguish media channels and help determine how content and advertising work together. As the table above shows, “your business creates” the content for social and shared media. In both cases, “your business” works to grow the audience, but your business does not control what the platforms do with the content, and despite growing followers, the business cannot take or easily transfer that audience to other channels. I once wrote: “Shared media uses content your business creates, distributed to an audience developed by your business through a platform owned or controlled by someone else.” This control is the key difference, and that is why social is not “owned” media. [](https://new.88lab.eu/wp-content/uploads/screenshot-2022-04-10-at-16.48.47.png) Diagram of four overlapping circles: earned media, shared media, owned media, and paid media. ### Account suspension As proof that companies do not own their social media channels, consider all the suspended accounts and the businesses that shut down because there were no alternative options. All social media platforms reserve the right to suspend, block, or remove accounts. The specific rules vary, but any business can publish lots of great content, build thousands of followers, and suddenly lose access to the account, the content, and the audience. This happens every day to small businesses. ### Content removal Platforms can remove individual posts. This is common on YouTube and Facebook, for example. When a YouTube creator produces critical content, the criticized party often files a copyright complaint, immediately stopping the criticism and forcing the creator into an arbitration process. The fact that YouTube and other platforms have content restrictions and often remove individual posts confirms that social media is not “owned” in the normal sense. ### Creator economy Creators and the so-called creator economy also show that “social” is not something businesses or individuals can “own.” Although creators can monetize their content on a given channel, they do not own their audience or the distribution of their content. For example, in 2019 many YouTube creators complained that the platform’s efforts to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act had unfairly affected creators’ income. YouTube can limit advertising and therefore revenue sharing for any content it considers “not made for kids,” regardless of the creator’s intent. More recently, YouTube creators worried that Google would let its contract with [Roku](https://www.roku.com/) expire, reducing views, ads, and revenue for many channels. Creators often encourage their audiences to sign up through email newsletters or communities to fight this problem. If they want to increase income, creators have to move beyond a specific platform. This is another example of why social media is never truly “owned.” ### My Space The final reason against classifying social platforms as owned is that their popularity can decline. MySpace and the now-defunct Friendster were competitors to Facebook, but they no longer exist. Nothing guarantees that Facebook, Instagram, or any other social network will survive the next five or ten years. Some legislators and Web3 advocates are seeking to split up and replace these platforms. ### Not owned When companies start to think they own their social media content and audience in the same way they own a blog or an email list, they risk losing control over content and customer relationships. The PESO model is designed to help marketers think about communications in an integrated way and use all four channels appropriately. Social media is certainly an important part of the mix, but in the end your company content should be solid assets you own. Customer relationships should be direct, not through proxies like Facebook or TikTok. If you need to develop your marketing strategy and apply this approach, [**contact us**](https://88lab.eu/en/contact/). [RELATED TOPICS: Unexpected marketing trends in 2026](https://88lab.eu/en/neochakvani-marketing-tendenczii-2/) [RELATED TOPICS: Facebook Ads: Pros and Cons](https://88lab.eu/en/reklamite-vav-facebook-plyusove-i-minusi/)  About the author ## Evgeny Dimitrov the founder and manager of 88Lab He has worked in web technologies, digital marketing, and information security for more than two decades. His path began back in **2001 with LinuxExpress** - his first web project, dedicated to Linux. Later, under the pseudonym **KByte** , he published technical materials and articles on Linux-BG.org, and in **2002 he founded Security-BG** - a project for learning and sharing knowledge in the field of computer security. Today, he is **the founder and manager of 88Lab** , where he works on web platforms, SEO, Google Ads, AI solutions, and online business optimization. The agency’s projects include **Banker, Pulse Fitness & Spa, CoolFit, and the Bulgarian Construction Chamber** . His expert opinions on **web technologies, digital marketing, and online business** have been published in the newspaper **Banker and Actualno.com** . [More about 88Lab](https://88lab.eu/en/za-nas/) ## Share the post [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2F88lab.eu%2Fen%2Fmarketinga-v-soczialnite-mrezhi%2F)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2F88lab.eu%2Fen%2Fmarketinga-v-soczialnite-mrezhi%2F) CONTINUE READING ## More on this topic [](https://88lab.eu/en/from-ad-click-to-qualified-lead/) Conversion Rate Optimisation / 6 MIN ### [From ad click to quality lead: how to measure it](https://88lab.eu/en/from-ad-click-to-qualified-lead/) More forms do not always mean more work. Link clicks to received inquiries, qualified contacts, and sales to evaluate the advertising. [Read the article](https://88lab.eu/en/from-ad-click-to-qualified-lead/) [](https://88lab.eu/en/podgotovka-za-blackfraiday-2026/) Digital Marketing / 14 MIN ### [Preparing for Black Friday 2026: how to get the store, ads and logistics ready](https://88lab.eu/en/podgotovka-za-blackfraiday-2026/) A practical plan for preparing an online store for Black Friday 2026 - offer, pricing, stock, ads, load, emails and… [Read the article](https://88lab.eu/en/podgotovka-za-blackfraiday-2026/) [](https://88lab.eu/en/49-greshki-pri-upravlenie-na-onlajn-magaz/) Digital Marketing / 7 MIN ### [79 common mistakes in online store management in 2026 (and how to avoid them)](https://88lab.eu/en/49-greshki-pri-upravlenie-na-onlajn-magaz/) Running an online store seems easy until you face reality: dynamic markets, changing regulations, new technologies, and demanding customers. Below you’ll find an updated for 2026… [Read the article](https://88lab.eu/en/49-greshki-pri-upravlenie-na-onlajn-magaz/)