Chapter 8 Social Media 1) One of your sales representatives has begun using social networks to aggressively promote a new product line. As a manager, the best response would likely be to A) encourage him to continue. B) discourage him from using blatant "salespeak" since it is likely to alienate the audience. C) enact a policy forbidding employees from using social networks on company time. D) do nothing. Answer: B Explanation: B) People in social networks can usually tell right away when someone is trying to sell them something. Many people consider sales efforts in a social network as a violation of their trust. To avoid resentment and outright rejection, the sales rep should avoid any kind of blatant efforts to sell products. 2) In the social media landscape, companies that ________ are likely to be ignored. A) talk with customers, not at them B) use a conversational approach C) take a "we talk, you listen" approach D) help customers gain a voice in the marketplace Answer: C Explanation: C) As more people gain a voice in the marketplace, companies that try to maintain a "we talk, you listen" mindset are likely to be ignored in the social media community. 3) When you're writing content for social media, A) write in a corporate voice. B) write informally, but not carelessly. C) write from an objective third-person point of view. D) don't worry about revising or proofreading what you've written. Answer: B Explanation: B) When you're preparing a message for social media, write as a human being, not a cog in a faceless corporate machine. But don't get sloppy. 4) Best practices for communicating via social media include all of the following except A) thinking before you post. B) getting involved and staying involved. C) writing informally, but not carelessly. D) using a "hard sell" to promote goods and services. Answer: D Explanation: D) Just as you wouldn't hit people with a sales pitch in an informal gathering, avoid blatant promotional efforts in social media. 5) If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize your business blog, you should A) respond promptly, honestly, and professionally. B) ignore the criticism unless the critic is incorrect. C) take verbal potshots at the critic's integrity. D) let blog readers know that you won't tolerate criticism. Answer: A Explanation: A) Most blogs promote interaction, even if that interaction involves criticism. Take the opportunity to correct misinformation or explain how you'll fix mistakes. 6) Effective headlines for social media messages are A) clever and witty. B) pithy and enigmatic. C) brainteasers with a twist of irony. D) concise, specific, and informative. Answer: D Explanation: D) Neither readers nor search engines will spend time trying to figure out clever puns and wordplay, so make your headlines clear and direct. 7) ________ focus on a particular function or a particular audience. A) Private networks B) Public, specialized networks C) Public, general purpose networks D) Personalized synchronous networks Answer: B Explanation: B) Public, specialized networks, such as LinkedIn, focus on a particular function or audience. 8) Large and geographically dispersed companies can benefit greatly from ________ that connect experts who may work in different divisions or different countries. A) global peer groups B) colonies of practitioners C) communities of interest D) dispersed social networks Answer: C Explanation: C) Businesses can use communities of interest to locate experts worldwide. 9) A company can use ________ as a measure of how effectively it is engaging online stakeholders in a mutually beneficial exchange of information. A) brand socialization B) brand standardization C) brand management D) brand equilibrium Answer: A Explanation: A) Socializing a brand is becoming an increasingly important element in marketing and public relations strategies. 10) By forming a virtual organization, a company can A) monitor public opinion and target opinion leaders. B) measure how effectively it connects with its stakeholders. C) identify potential buyers and ask for introductions from shared connections. D) supplement its internal talent pool with services from external partners. Answer: D Explanation: D) Companies form virtual organizations to supplement the talents of their employees with services from one or more external partners. 11) The practice of content marketing involves ________, in order to build closer ties with current and potential customers. A) pitching your products and services at every opportunity B) building up your company by tearing down your competitors C) offering free information that's valuable to community members D) monitoring the Twittersphere for discussions about your brand Answer: C Explanation: C) Content marketing is the practice of providing free information that not only is valuable to community members but also helps build closer ties with current and potential customers. 12) A colleague of yours has just published an e-book titled, "Ten Tips for Success." She plans to promote the book via social networking. What advice can you offer to her about promotional efforts via social media? A) She should use brand acceleration to engage with opinion leaders. B) She should use a low-key, indirect approach when promoting her book. C) She should promote her book aggressively on each social media platform. D) She should alter her social media presence, according to the network she's using at the time. Answer: B Explanation: B) A low-key, indirect approach to product promotions will work best on social networks. 13) Each social network is a unique environment with its own communication norms. As you're adapting to the expectations of each network, be sure to A) adopt a different persona for each network that you join. B) let your feelings and moods determine how you present yourself. C) maintain a consistent personality across all networks in which you're active. D) pay attention to what other community members are doing, and then go with the flow. Answer: C Explanation: C) While adapting to the expectations of different networks, maintain a consistent personality across all the networks in which you're active. 14) Companies can use a research technique called ________ to track social networks and other media to take the pulse of public opinion and identify opinion makers. A) cold calling B) sentiment analysis C) brand socialization D) location-based networking Answer: B Explanation: B) Businesses can pursue sentiment analysis via automated language-analysis software that monitors social networks to gauge public opinion and identify opinion makers. 15) Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together ________, people who engage in similar work, and ________, people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. A) private networks; public networks B) virtual networks; brand societies C) communities of practice; communities of interest D) special interest groups ; word-of-mouth conclaves Answer: C Explanation: C) Communities of practice include people who engage in similar work, and communities of interest involve people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. 16) Social networks used by the business community consist of A) private networks. B) public, specialized networks. C) public, general-purpose networks. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) The social networks used by businesses and professionals can be grouped into three categories: public, general-purpose networks; public, specialized networks; and private networks. 17) You have decided to post a video on YouTube explaining how to use one of your company's new products. To be most effective, the video should be no more than ________ minute(s) long. A) 1 B) 5 C) 25 D) 60 Answer: B Explanation: B) Most people lose patience with a how-to video after 3 to 5 minutes. Therefore, it is important to keep the video under 5 minutes in length. If you find that 5 minutes does not cover the material you wanted to include, create a second "Part 2" video to cover the extra material. 18) Community Q&A sites offer opportunities for building your personal brand. When you're responding to an individual's question, keep in mind that A) community Q&A sites are a fad, so responding to questions is a waste of time. B) your reply to the question will only be relevant to the person who asked it. C) material that's posted on a Community Q&A site won't be visible for long. D) you're responding in advance to anyone who has the same question and visits the site. Answer: D Explanation: D) When you respond to an individual's question, you're also "responding in advance" to anyone who comes to the site with the same question. 19) The Segway Social network, which connects owners of these unique personal vehicles, is an example of a A) specialized social network. B) privatized social network. C) location-based social network. D) general-purpose social network. Answer: A Explanation: A) Specialized social networking sites allow product enthusiasts to interact by sharing personal stories, offering, advice, and commenting on products and company news. 20) YouTube, Wikipedia, and Twitter are popular examples of A) general-purpose social networks. B) user-generated content sites. C) community macromedia outlets. D) private-label social networks. Answer: B Explanation: B) Users rather than website owners contribute most or all of the content on user-generated content sites. 21) Starbucks Coffee, Animal Planet, and Turner Classic Movies offer their followers ________ via their branded channels on YouTube. A) value-added content B) interesting information C) question-and-answer forums D) annual reports and financial statements Answer: A Explanation: A) A company can use a branded channel on YouTube to organize its online videos, thus adding value to its brand by making it easy for visitors to browse the videos or subscribe to automatic updates. 22) Yelp has used a ________ strategy to become a major influence on the behavior of consumers and businesses in large cities across the United States. A) voice of reason B) voice of the crowd C) voice in the city D) voice of the customer Answer: B Explanation: B) Yelp has used the voice of the crowd to aggregate millions of reviews of stores, restaurants, and other businesses in major cities across the USA. 23) RSS feeds let readers subscribe to updates from websites or aggregate feeds from many sites. However, a drawback to RSS feeds involves the "fire-hose effect" of A) having old messages purged by new messages. B) getting discouraged because subscribing to RSS feeds is so difficult. C) receiving so many feeds so fast that it's impossible to manage them. D) publishers sorting articles into groups that range from the trivial to the essential. Answer: C Explanation: C) Anyone who's signed up for more than a few RSS feeds can face the "fire-hose effect" of getting so many feeds so quickly that it's impossible to stay on top of them. 24) As an alternative to newsfeeds, ________ involves aggregating (gathering) and curating (sorting, categorizing, and presenting) information on a particular topic in a way that makes it convenient for targeted readers. A) blog rolling B) media curation C) hub syndication D) virtual automation Answer: B Explanation: B) Media curation is the process of collecting and presenting information on a particular topic in a way that makes it convenient for target readers. 25) Which of the following are media curation sites? A) Vimeo and YouTube B) Facebook and Google+ C) Pinterest and Scoop.It D) Digg and Reddit Answer: C Explanation: C) Pinterest and Scoop.It are media curation sites that aggregate and curate material from multiple sources to create a unique experience for readers and visitors. 26) The business applications of blogging do not include A) anchoring your social media presence. B) recruiting potential employees. C) enabling word-of-mouth marketing. D) encouraging collaboration on writing projects. Answer: D Explanation: D) Using wikis is a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects. 27) Successful business bloggers pay close attention to A) delivering new information quickly. B) choosing topics of peak interest to audiences. C) communicating in a personal style, with an authentic voice. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Good business bloggers write in a personal, authentic voice and deliver a continuous stream of new content based on topics that readers care about. 28) Writing in ________ is key to attracting and keeping blog readers. A) a carefully scripted style B) a personal, authentic voice C) an impersonal corporate tone D) an objective third-person style Answer: B Explanation: B) People like to read blogs that are written in a personal, authentic voice. 29) Trying to manage incoming social media messages can be overwhelming. All of the following except ________ can help you keep social media from turning into a source of stress and information anxiety. A) adding new sources of information slowly B) collecting information simply because it's entertaining or interesting C) acknowledging that you can't handle every update from every potentially useful source D) remembering that information is an enabler, a means to an end Answer: B Explanation: B) Don't gather information just because it's interesting or entertaining; collect information because it's useful. 30) When you're applying the three-step writing process to blogging, the planning step will include A) writing a concise statement of your blog's purpose. B) targeting the audience that you intend to reach. C) narrowing the scope of subjects you plan to cover. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Before you launch a blog, make sure that you understand the purpose of your blog, the audience you want to reach, and the scope of subjects you plan to cover. 31) All of the items listed below except ________ are important when you're completing messages for your blog. A) determining the scope and subject of your message B) evaluating the content and readability of your message C) proofreading your message to catch and correct errors and oversights D) using your blogging system's tools to post your message Answer: A Explanation: A) When you're completing a blog post, evaluate content and readability, proofread to correct errors, and use the blog system's tools to publish your message. 32) You can make the material on your blog easier to locate by A) opting out of newsfeed options. B) tagging the material with descriptive words. C) including long, complex headings. D) eliminating links to other blogs and websites. Answer: B Explanation: B) Make the material on your blog easier to find by tagging it with descriptive words. 33) Many businesses now use blogs to A) keep project teams up to date. B) replace email in many cases. C) inform employees and customers about new products and how to use them. D) do all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Blogs perform the function of a newsletter, a project coordinator, and a customer support team all at once. Since blogs can be accessed from a variety of different platforms, a single blog can keep the entire company community informed of all company activities. 34) If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog, A) your audience will appreciate not having to process information that changes constantly. B) repost old material so your audience will not lose interest. C) you should create a traditional website instead. D) keep readers interested by adding daily comments on current events. Answer: C Explanation: C) Blogs work best when they are frequently updated. For more permanent information that changes only a few times a year, a website is a better communication format. 35) In the world of blogs, microblogs, and social media, word-of-mouth marketing is often called A) we talk, you listen marketing. B) virtual marketing. C) community-driven marketing. D) viral marketing. Answer: C Explanation: C) Word-of-mouth marketing is often called viral marketing, a reference to messages being transmitted in much the same way that biological viruses spread from person to person. 36) A business should consider creating a blog or microblog account whenever it has ________ to share with an online audience. A) a one-time sales opportunity B) an advertising campaign C) a continuing stream of information D) a press release to announce something newsworthy Answer: C Explanation: C) Blogs or microblogs are a potential solution whenever you have a continuing stream of information to share with an online audience. 37) Retweeting is the practice of forwarding messages from other Twitter users. It is the microblogging equivalent of A) broadcasting to a list of contacts via email. B) sharing other content from bloggers via media curation. C) carrying on a real-time conversation via instant messaging. D) conducting a keyword search on a general-purpose search engine. Answer: B Explanation: B) Retweeting messages from other Twitter users is the microblogging equivalent of using media curation to share other content from other bloggers. 38) Twitter followers consider ________ to be the most valuable type of tweets. A) generic messages, such as saying "good morning" B) messages that engage followers, such as asking them for advice C) complaints from someone who's stuck in traffic or having a bad day D) random musings about a weekend at the beach Answer: B Explanation: B) Twitter followers like tweets that are entertaining, surprising, informative, or engaging. 39) Microbloggers often send messages with ________ that provide links to more information. A) teasers B) suggestions C) backlogs D) innuendos Answer: A Explanation: A) Microposts can include short summaries or teasers that include embedded links to websites and blogs. 40) Rather than subscribing to a public microblogging service, some companies implement ________ that are intended for internal use only. A) localized transmission systems B) proprietary message protocols C) internal micromessaging systems D) corporate communication circuits Answer: C Explanation: C) Some companies have implemented internal micromessaging systems, intended for private internal use only. 41) The business uses of microblogging include all of the following except A) presenting tips on product usage. B) offering coupons and announcing sales. C) announcing headlines of new blog posts. D) adding pages, subpages, or articles to a wiki. Answer: D Explanation: D) The microblog format strictly limits the number of characters in a message, so pages of information or entire articles cannot be included in microposts. 42) The primary value of a wiki stems from A) its revolutionary technology. B) its unwavering focus on individual experts. C) the collaborative efforts of its contributors. D) its potential to replace popular online social networks. Answer: C Explanation: C) Effective wiki writers relinquish traditional expectations of authorship (including individual recognition and control). They also collaborate to monitor, edit, and improve each other's work. 43) If you're creating a new wiki, ________ just as you would with a new blog or podcast channel. A) focus on short-run goals B) think through your long-term purpose carefully C) plan on developing polices and guidelines later, as you need them D) don't worry about your audience until the wiki is up and running Answer: B Explanation: B) When creating a new wiki, take a long-term perspective. That way, you can create appropriate guidelines, editorial oversight, and security policies. 44) Before you add a page or a new article to an existing wiki, A) remove any similar material that already exists on the wiki. B) make sure that you've copyrighted the written material. C) tweet your followers so they'll know where to find what you've written. D) determine how the new material will fit into the existing content on the wiki. Answer: D Explanation: D) If you're planning to add a page or an article to an existing wiki, make sure you understand how a new wiki page will fit with the existing content. 45) A wiki is an ideal solution when a company wants to A) deliver new information quickly. B) recruit new employees and business partners. C) encourage participation in collaborative writing. D) transmit the headlines of new blog posts. Answer: C Explanation: C) A wiki is an ideal solution when a company wants to encourage participation in collaborative writing. 46) If your company's social media content draws criticism, it is best to respond promptly and honestly. Answer: True Explanation: In a social medium, any kind of criticism is there for any viewer to see. Don't ignore criticism. Instead, join the conversation—defend your position and the company's position in the best way you can. 47) Companies that are succeeding in social media use a "we talk, you listen" approach to communication. Answer: False Explanation: One of the great appeals of social media is conversational feel. Companies that try to maintain the "we talk, you listen" mindset are likely to be ignored in the social media landscape. 48) When you're preparing an online message, you can assume that no one but your intended audience will see it. Answer: False Explanation: Unless you're sending messages through a private channel, assume that every message will be read by people far beyond your original audience. 49) Writing for social media requires a different approach than writing for traditional media. Answer: True Explanation: Readers of social media expect to have a more engaged relationship with writers, so creating content for social media requires a new approach to writing. 50) Business communicators use a wide range of specialized and private social networks, in addition to public networks. Answer: True Explanation: Businesses and professionals use public, general-purpose networks; public, specialized networks; and private networks. 51) Communities of practice consist of people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. Answer: False Explanation: Social networks are a natural tool for helping people who engage in similar work to form communities of practice. 52) Location-based applications link the virtual world of social networking with the physical world of retail outlets and other businesses. Answer: True Explanation: Given the proliferation of mobile computing, more brick-and-mortar businesses are using location-based networking to connect with mobile consumers. 53) Social media has revolutionized customer service. Answer: True Explanation: Social customer service involves using social networks and other social media tools to help customers get advice and assistance from the company and from other customers. 54) Peer-to-peer enclaves allow companies to supplement the talents of their employees with services from one or more external partners. Answer: False Explanation: A company can extend its reach by forming a virtual organization, in which it supplements the talents of its employees with services from one or more external partners. 55) Creating effective social media content in business means taking every opportunity to promote your company's products. Answer: False Explanation: Social media users are acutely tuned in to fellow users who are trying to take advantage of them in an unfair way. The key to using social media in business is not to be pushy; to try to guide things as they evolve rather than force them in a particular direction. 56) In general, user-generated content sites have yielded disappointing results for companies that have used them for business purposes. Answer: False Explanation: Recently, sites like YouTube and Flickr have become serious business tools. YouTube, for example, has become the place for companies to post things like how-to videos and short films that demonstrate products. 57) When you respond to a question posted on a community Q&A site, your answer is nothing more than a quick fix for a short-term problem. Answer: False Explanation: When you respond to the question, you're also "responding in advance" to everyone in the future who comes to the site and asks the same question, so keep the long time frame and wider audience in mind. 58) One way to deal with the "fire-hose effect" of social media is to admit that you can't possibly handle every update from every potentially interesting and helpful source. Answer: True Explanation: You have to set priorities and make tough choices to protect yourself from information overload. 59) One advantage of blogging for business is that it enables you to update content quickly and easily. Answer: True Explanation: The primary appeal of a blog is in its timeliness. The blog format provides the perfect platform for following events as they progress and develop over time. 60) One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post new material. Answer: False Explanation: Blogging in today's online world is exceedingly easy. A novice blogger can be up and running on a new blog in less than a half hour. 61) Blogs are useful tools for crisis communication. Answer: False Explanation: In a crisis, text messaging, instant messaging, and cell phones are better tools than a blog. All three of those technologies allow for instant feedback, while feedback for a blog is too slow for emergency action. 62) Blogs are an excellent venue for hard-sell sales tactics because they feature a built-in audience. Answer: False Explanation: Readers of blogs lose trust in a blogger quickly if they sense that the blogger is using their relationship for financial gain. Therefore, a blog is a poor venue for hard-sell sales tactics. 63) Without a steady stream of new information, a blog is unlikely to be successful. Answer: True Explanation: The appeal of the blog as a form is that it is updated frequently. Readers read blogs as running diaries, keeping up with events through the writing and multimedia presentations of the blogger. 64) The Library of Congress is archiving every public tweet from every Twitter user. Answer: True Explanation: All public tweets (the default Twitter setting) are being archived by the Library of Congress. 65) Business communication uses of microblogging are limited to the publication of brief updates. Answer: False Explanation: In addition to providing brief updates, business communication uses of microblogging include announcing headlines of new blog posts, sharing information from experts, offering sales coupons, serving customers, and more. 66) The social networking aspect of microblogs makes them good for asking one's followers for input or advice. Answer: True Explanation: The social networking aspect of microblogging suits it for crowdsourcing research questions. 67) Using hashtags in microblogs makes it easy for people to track topics of interest. Answer: True Explanation: A hashtag is a # symbol that is followed by a unique term that makes it easy for people to track a topic. 68) The planning phase of developing a wiki doesn't require a long-term perspective. Answer: False Explanation: A successful wiki requires planning, just as a blog or website requires planning. You may not have total control of the wiki after it's launched, but careful up-front planning will steer the wiki in the direction you want it to go. 69) A well-run wiki encourages participants to edit and improve each other's work. Answer: True Explanation: Participants continuously improve the content of a successful wiki. Once the number of users reaches critical mass, wikis tend to correct themselves with respect to content errors and overall quality. 70) A wiki is an ideal solution when a company wants to encourage individual effort. Answer: False Explanation: A wiki offers an ideal solution for a company that wants to promote participation and collaborative writing. 71) ________ is a measure of how effectively a company engages with its various online stakeholders in a mutually beneficial exchange of information. Answer: Brand socialization Explanation: Socializing a brand is becoming an increasingly important element of marketing and public relations strategies. 72) Online communities of interest that form around a specific product are known as ________________. Answer: brand communities Explanation: Nurturing brand communities that form around a specific product can be a vital business communication task. 73) ________ are online services that help people and organizations form connections and share information. Answer: Social networks Explanation: Social networks have become a major force in both internal and external business communication in recent years. 74) According to a recent survey of company executives, ________ now accounts for more than half of the global reputation of a company or a brand. Answer: socialization Explanation: Increasingly, marketing and public relations strategies include socializing a brand. 75) Social media is expediting the growth of networked or ________ organizations, in which companies supplement their employees' talents with services from external partners. Answer: virtual Explanation: Companies can monitor communities of practice and brand communities to locate experts and then collaborate with them in networked or virtual organizations. 76) A business can use ________ to engage with current and potential customers by providing free information that's valuable to online community members. Answer: content marketing Explanation: Content marketing is the practice of providing free value-added information to community members in order to build closer ties with current and potential customers. 77) Many companies now seek ________ content as a way to engage their stakeholders and provide value through shared expertise. Answer: user-generated Explanation: Users rather than website owners generate most or all of the content on user-generated content sites. 78) ________ have become a popular medium for customer support—enabling employees to answer questions and offer tips and advice. Answer: Blogs Explanation: Blogs allow customers to ask questions about, for example, how to use a software program, and receive answers from either the blogger or fellow users and readers of the blog. 79) Viral ________ refers to spreading the word about your company and its products in much the same way that biological viruses are transmitted from person to person. Answer: marketing Explanation: Viral marketing is intended to let "electronic word-of-mouth" do the work that advertising would have done in past decades. Rather than promote your product in ads, viral marketing encourages users to use the product, talk about it on Twitter, Facebook, or a blog, and have others find out about it and promote it in the same way. 80) Reputation ________ such as Evolve24 have developed ways to automatically monitor blogs and other online sources to see what people are saying about their corporate clients. Answer: analysts Explanation: Reputation analysts can find blogs of all sizes, from the popular to the obscure, that refer to specific products and compile data on how people view of those products. This data can give corporate clients a fairly accurate glimpse of how the public actually feels about its product. 81) ________ your blog makes it easier for readers to find your material and easily find everything you've written about a certain topic. Answer: Tagging Explanation: For example, you might tag a blog about your beagle puppy with such terms as "beagle," "hound," "American Kennel Club," and so on. 82) The social networking aspects of Twitter suit it for the use of ________ to get answers to research questions by asking one's followers for input or advice. Answer: crowdsourcing Explanation: Microbloggers can use crowdsourcing to obtain ideas or content by soliciting input from the members of an online community. 83) ________ is the practice of collecting, filtering, and republishing material on a particular topic. Answer: Media curation Explanation: Collecting, filtering, and republishing material on a particular topic is called media curation. 84) A ________ is a variation on blogging in which messages are sharply restricted to specific character counts. Answer: microblog Explanation: Microblogging allows users of smartphones and other Internet connected devices to publish messages and updates, typically of 140 characters or less. 85) The ________ of a wiki is a "safe," nonpublished section where team members can practice editing and writing. Answer: sandbox Explanation: The sandbox lets users practice changing and editing the site, but their efforts aren't officially posted. Therefore, they can build their wiki skills without the risk of disrupting the wiki. 86) What are seven guidelines to keep in mind when creating content for business-related social media? Answer: Creating effective content for business-related media is easier when you do the following: (1) Remember that it's a conversation, not a lecture or a sales pitch: companies that try to maintain the old "we talk, you listen" mindset are likely to be ignored in the social media landscape; (2) Write informally but not carelessly—keep your tone conversational, but don't get sloppy; (3) Create concise, specific, and informative headlines: this is not the place to display your skill at playing on words; (4) Get involved and stay involved: when you and/or your company receive criticism, take the opportunity to respond and correct misinformation or explain how mistakes will be fixed; (5) If you need to promote something, do so indirectly—refrain from blatant promotional efforts in social media; (6) Be transparent and honest: audiences respond unfavorably to companies that hide behind a fictional online blogging persona; and (7) think before you post to avoid embarrassing or expensive mistakes. 87) How can businesses use social networking to support collaboration? Answer: Networks can support collaboration by identifying the best people (inside the company and in other companies) to collaborate on projects. Furthermore, networking can accelerate the development of teams by helping team members get to know one another and identify individual areas of expertise. Meeting and seminar participants can use social networks to meet before an event takes place and to maintain relationships after the event is over. Finally, social networks can help companies find pockets of knowledge and expertise within the organization and share information organization-wide. 88) What is the meaning of the phrase, "anchoring your online presence in your hub"? Answer: Although it's important to join conversations and be visible where your stakeholders are active, it's equally important to anchor your presence at your own central hub–a web presence that you own and control. This can be a combination of a website, a blog, and a company sponsored online community. Use the hub to connect the various pieces of your online persona, so it will be easier for people to find and follow you. 89) What is brand socialization? Why is it important in business? Answer: Brand socialization is a measure of how effectively a company engages with its various online stakeholders in a mutually beneficial exchange of information. According to one recent survey of company executives, socialization now accounts for more than half of a company's or brand's global reputation. Social networks and related tools (such as Twitter) are the primary means of socializing companies and brands. To be successful, the communication on these platforms must be of value to all parties, not just the company. 90) What are the three categories of social networks used by businesses and professionals? Answer: Facebook is the largest of the public, general-purpose networks, although Google+ is gaining membership and attracting companies and brands. Additionally, some regionally focused general-purpose networks have significant user bases. Public, specialized networks focus on a particular function or a particular audience. The most widely known is LinkedIn, with its emphasis on career- and sales-related networking. Other networks address the needs of entrepreneurs, small business owners, specific professions, product enthusiasts, and other targeted audiences. Some companies have built private networks for internal use. For example, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin created its Unity network, complete with a variety of social media applications. 91) What role do social networks play in communities of interest, communities of practice, and brand communities? Answer: Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together communities of practice, people who engage in similar work, and communities of interest, people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. Large and geographically dispersed companies can benefit greatly from communities of practice that connect experts who may work in different divisions or different countries. Communities of interest that form around a specific product are sometimes called brand communities, and nurturing these communities can be a vital business communication task. A majority of consumers who interact on social media trust their peers more than any other source of product information, so formal and informal brand communities are becoming an essential information source in consumer buying decisions. 92) Briefly explain the differences among user-generated content sites and community Q&A sites. Answer: User-generated sites such as YouTube and Flickr allow users rather than website owners to contribute most or all of the content. On community Q&A sites, visitors answer questions posted by other visitors or by representatives of companies. Examples of these include GetSatisfaction, Yahoo! Answers, Quora, and LinkedIn Answers. 93) What is media curation? What is its potential effect on business communication? Answer: Media curation is an intriguing alternative to newsfeeds. It involves someone with expertise or interest in a particular field collecting material on a particular topic and then republishing that material via new curation tools, such as Pinterest and Scoop.it. Curation raises important issues regarding content ownership and message control, but it has the potential to bring the power of community and shared expertise to many different fields. Therefore, it could reshape audience behavior and the practice of business communication. 94) List at least three advantages of using blogs in business. Answer: Effective blogs enable companies to (1) communicate with personal style and an authentic voice (rather than an impersonal "corporate voice"), (2) deliver new information quickly during crises and at other times, (3) choose topics of peak interest to audiences, and (4) encourage audiences to join the conversation (which can provide companies with important news, information, and insights). 95) Identify and discuss four important elements of successful business blogs. Answer: Successful business bloggers pay close attention to four important elements. Communicating with personal style and an authentic voice. Traditional business messages intended for large audiences are carefully scripted and written in an impersonal, objective "corporate voice." In contrast, effective business bloggers write in an individual, personal style. Delivering new information quickly. Blogging lets you post new material as soon as you create it or find it. Online readers won't visit blogs that don't offer a continuous stream of new and interesting content. Choosing topics of peak interest to audiences. Successful blogs cover topics that readers care about, and they emphasize useful information while downplaying product promotion. Encouraging audiences to join the conversation. Not all blogs invite comments, but many bloggers think that comments are a valuable source of news, information, and insights. However, some comments may not be helpful or appropriate, so many bloggers moderate comments before allowing them to be displayed. 96) Briefly explain the difference between blogging and microblogging. Answer: A microblog is a variation on blogging in which messages are restricted to specific character counts. Twitter is the best known of these systems, and it limits posts to 140 characters. 97) Sharing information via microblogging is fast and easy. How can you maximize microblogging's speed and simplicity when you're using it for business communication? Answer: Although microblogs are designed to encourage spontaneous communication, don't let the speed and simplicity of microblogging lull you into making careless mistakes. In addition, don't just tweet whatever happens to pop into your head. Instead, make sure that every message you send supports your business communication objectives. 98) Identify and discuss some of the ways Twitter is being used in business today. Answer: The business communication uses of microblogging extend well beyond the publication of brief updates. Businesspeople can use Twitter as a real-time news source by following top names in business. Twitter expedites customer service, thanks to its ease, speed, and the option to switch between public tweets and private messages. The social networking aspect of Twitter makes it good for crowdsourcing research questions. In addition, the ease of retweeting is the microblogging equivalent of sharing content via media curation. Finally, because Twitter is integrated with other social media systems and a variety of other tools and services, the hashtag feature makes it easy to search for topics of interest and monitor ongoing conversations. 99) How should you adapt the three-step process to wiki writing? Answer: How you apply the three-step process to wiki writing will depend on whether you're working with a new wiki or an existing wiki. If you're creating a new wiki, consider your long-term purpose carefully. That way, you can plan for appropriate guidelines, editorial oversight, and security policies. However, if you'll be adding written material to an existing wiki, figure out how it will fit into the existing organization. If similar material already exists, consider expanding on that material or adding a subpage to it, rather than creating a new item. Be sure to observe the wiki's preferred style for handling incomplete articles. Moreover, if you don't agree with published content and plan to revise it, use the wiki's discussion facility to share your concerns with other contributors. 100) Identify and discuss several points that writers must understand before they can be effective wiki collaborators. Answer: Using wikis is a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects, from brief articles to long reports and reference works. However, wikis require a unique approach to writing. Individual writers must relinquish traditional expectations of authorship, including recognition and control (the value of a wiki stems from the collective insight of all its contributors). Often, team members will need to be encouraged to edit and improve each other's work. In addition, writers should use page templates and other formatting options to make sure the content is consistent with the rest of the wiki. Wikis also provide editing and commenting capabilities, so participants should use the appropriate tool for each activity. Finally, new users should take advantage of the "sandbox," which is a "safe," nonpublished section of the wiki where contributors can practice editing and writing. Test Bank for Business Communication Today Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill 9780132971294, 9780134562186, 9780135900239, 9780132539555
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