Then you're not really using "social media" - you're exploiting the patterns in a service for your own goal. Not that there's anything wrong with this - but you are by definition not participating in "social media" in this case.

Participating means you're using it for useless chatter.

It's the same as IM. I use IM at work for work, and it's a lot less inane than the regular IM I use with my friends.