In April, the McKinsey Quarterly published "Demystifying Social Media" for businesses.

The article illustrates how using social media right can enable "targeted marketing responses at individual touch points along the consumer decision journey."

Here are four steps to take to meet consumers along the way and achieve social touch-point engagement:

Monitor. Make learning what's said about your products and services a business priority. Monitoring social media can provide insights that inform everything from product design to marketing. McKinsey advises quickly communicating that feedback in-house: "Whoever is charged with brand monitoring must ensure that information reaches relevant functions, such as communications, design, marketing, public relations, or risk."

Respond. When you listen, answer. Crisis management and customer service are examples of priority responses. Countering negative comments and reinforcing the positive will only grow in importance, McKinsey predicts: "By responding rapidly, transparently, and honestly, companies can positively influence consumer sentiment and behavior."

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