Ears and a voice. Two of the most important benefits of social media – the ability to listen and converse with customers – were addressed by a host of speakers at the recent  BlogWell “How Big Brands Use Social Media” conference in NYC. 

Presenters from some of the nation’s – and even the globe’s – biggest brands shared unique strategies and tactics that they’ve employed to maximize their social media channels. Some key takeaways were:  

1. Listen! Learning what people want from your brand can help drive the direction in which it should go. By listening, you can gain insight into who you are talking to and tweak messages to make sure the consumer understands your brand message.

2. Track Influencers. Know the influencers within the industries in which you play and build relationships with them. Be open to sharing their content and invite them to be a part of your brand.

3. Respect the rules of the social media road. Offer full disclosure and always be truthful, create social policies and training for everyone who works in the social sphere, monitor conversations and correct misstatements.

Applying these takeaways will not only make the connection between brand pages and fans stronger and more genuine, it will enable your brand to stand out in a cacophony of daily Facebook postings.