Answers for Ch. 1 & Ch. 2 Readings

Ch. 1
1. Socialization of business was inevitable because we, as humans, are constantly evolving. We are inherently social people, and so we desire interaction with others. Since we evolve, in order for business to keep up with us, they have to become social beings as well.

2. Social media is what the author calls the "pipes". Social communications, on the other hand, is what people do within those "pipes". The author explains that social media is the structure, while the communications is the activity within that structure.

3. Social media matters to businesses because it can impact every function of their company. It helps them to achieve their goals, and increase the power of networks. The author explains that people are changing, and social media is a way to stay gain advantage in the market because it connects people together.

4. Lateral engagement is peer-to-peer engagement, or word of mouth. People use to communicate with businesses/organizations, and vice versa, but now they can communicate with others in their network. It is a much more personal relationship, and the author says it knows no boundaries; if an organization wants to communicate effectively, they need to understand how people communicate with each other.

Ch. 2
1. Social media brings value to an organization because social media complements the goals of the company. The author also says that the social media activities can support the objectives, and increases the company's reach.

2. In order to tie social media to objectives, we need to understand that goals, targets and tactics are different things. A business already has an objective, so they should figure out how social media fits in with their objectives, and how they can use social media to achieve said objectives. Social media should be used to support, not to be used as the actual goal.

3. Goals are the end point, while targets are the values assigned to the goal that have a time frame, according to the author. In other words, a goal gives purpose while the target is the specifics of that purpose. To build a road map, businesses need to transition from goals into targets, and then it makes it easier to accomplish through tactics.

4. Sales can be impacted because it allows companies to further their reach and increase the number of transactions. Customer Support also can use social media because it allows businesses to connect, satisfy and support customers quickly. HR can use social media to find new employees, and monitor those employees and allows for the growing of social networks through social media--what better person to hire than someone another employee trusts? PR can also use social media to keep up a good reputation and fix a bad one, and business intelligence can also help a company to keep track of what is being said about their company, which allows them to figure out how to respond effectively.