Joseph Lepore

Professor Adam Padgett

ENGL 1102
March 10, 2014
Annotated Bibliography
Inquiry: How is the business-sales world changing and adapting to the growth in social media?
Proposed thesis: Social media has allowed businesses to analyze their customers and the market
in new ways.
SOCIAL MEDIA'S INFLUENCE ON BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS SALES PERFORMANCE
Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management
2012
0885-3134
32(3): 365-378
M.E. Sharpe Inc.

This article explains how social media helps the business-to-business sales world to overcome a
number of challenges in todays environment such as increased competition, slowed world
economy, commoditization of products as social media has grown. the use of social media
has allowed businesses to have relationships with their customers. Sales companies are able to
communicate directly with the customers and receive feedback the social media sites. While
taking feedback through social media, businesses also spot emerging market trends to get a
head start. The article also provides evidence for the benefit of social media in finding
prospective clients through the social media site LinkedIn. One business leader told all his
employees to search data warehousing and they were able to find numerous new clients in the
Comment [AP1]: Try to come up with
something more specific. While I like the idea
you seem to be running with, this thesis could
be a little too broad and axiomatic.
Comment [AP2]: use proper citation. It is
very difficult for me to figure out what these
references mean when you dont use proper
citation.
Comment [AP3]: no need to end with an
ellipsis. Use an ellipsis if you omitting
something mid-sentence within the quote or if
there are other syntactical concerns.
months to come. The authors of this article made strong points to exemplify the benefits social
media has on the business world.

The Effect of Customers' Social Media Participation on Customer Visit Frequency and
Profitability: An Empirical Investigation
Information systems research
2013
1047-7047
24(1): 108-127
This article approaches the idea of skepticism of the success of social media in profitability. The
even talk about a recent IBM report that stated social media is no longer the adorable baby
everyone wants to hold, but the angst filled adolescent still immature yet no longer cute- who
inspires mixed feelings. The article responds to the skepticism with a case study of a specialty
wine firm who implemented itself on the social media site Facebook. After the Facebook page
was launched through matching up customers names with Facebook they showed a small
increase in profitability. But they concluded that there was not really an effective method to see
profitability because it differs on ever firms approach to social media. They also found in a
relationship between a firm and a customer on social media there are two sets of factors that can
influence this relationship: overall social media activity and customer characteristics.
Joe,
I think you have a very interesting and engaging idea here. I think these sources hold potential
for interesting conversation, but Im not getting a clear enough sense of what conflict exists and
what particular position you are taking. Needless to say, you are missing 3/5 sources. If you need
help or have questions about your research, please let me know.


Comment [AP4]: Okay, so where does your
voice fit in this conversation?
Comment [AP5]: ?
Comment [AP6]: interesting. So what is
your response to this statement? Where does
your voice fit in here?
Comment [AP7]: please proof read a little
closer.