ExactTarget recently conducted a survey that revealed that 70% of Facebook users don’t want to be marketed to, even if they joined the Fan page of a company or brand. Social media naysayers and Facebook haters point to this data as proof that you really don’t need to consider online communities as part of your marketing plan.

It’s a stupid survey as the results are predictable. If you ask people who are walking around inside Macy’s if they want to be sold or marketed to they’d say no, too. 70% of people walk up and down trade show aisles quickly looking away when the sales rep in the booth catches their eye. Don’t you automatically utter, “Just looking” every time you’re approached by a store sales person?

We hate being sold to but we sure love to buy!

The terms “marketing” and “sales” conjure old-school methods using manipulation, dishonesty and phony friendliness. That is what the Facebook members–and retail shoppers–are rejecting.

And yet everywhere you look members of social networks are downloading coupons, reading e-books, participating in contests, earning silly badges, watching videos, answering polls, signing petitions, voting for charities, playing games and sharing what they like with others. Many of those activities are provided by companies. Who are (ahem) marketing.

An old mentor taught me to pay attention to what people do, not what they say.

Mad Men happens to be a great TV show but that style of marketing is what people now reject. Market with Authentic Value and you’ll get very different results. Whether you are marketing a drug, a hospital or disease awareness you can and should engage on Facebook. 300 million people are there, and they’re not just looking.