Connecting with your audience takes more than an individual, it actually takes a village. At least that what Sandy Carter argues in her book Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business.

Sandy Carter is IBM’s Vice President of Social Business Sales & Evangelism and her third book does not disappoint. Regardless if you are a seasoned professional or an individual new to the world of social media, this book offers vital insight into the concept of “social business”.

Rather than argue for handful of individuals who are able to successfully meet business objectives through using social media, Carter suggests it takes the entire business. In doing so, she introduces the concept of “social business” where an organization embraces the tools for engagement in all aspects of the business chain; this includes the strategy formulation, process creation, implementation, and data analysis.

Personally, I love this argument and its grand vision. However, part of me cringes knowing that this could be a hard pill to swallow for the typical CEO or CFO. Although social media is an accepted resource for enterprise, very few organizations are able to embed it into every link of the organizational chain.

Regardless, the author offers a number of insights that make this book vital to any individual who owns a social media initiative.
This includes the importance of designing and staffing your business for reputation and risk management; what message your are broadcasting, how should you engage, and what will you do with this information. Additionally, Carter argues for proper data analysis which is something that most businesses fail at by focusing on the number of “fans” rather than customer engagement.

All in all, I highly recommend Carter’s book for any professional using social media. The author offers step-by-step instruction, a number of useful case studies and a glossary of social business terms that is worth the price alone.