“Things I’ve Learned from Lately” is a regular compilation of articles that have made me a smarter social media marketer. Hopefully, they’ll help you, too.

Facebook Selling Relationships, Not Impressions – Ben Elowitz lays out how Facebook’s long-term value isn’t in selling impressions. It’s in selling relationships, something no other platform can contend with.

Key Takeaway: Facebook is in a unique position. It has value. It has resources. It just hasn’t figured out the right way to package it. Facebook’s been trying to sell what everyone else is, which has put it in a position that really undervalues its true potential. Facebook has the potential to show how brands can build sustainable relationships with customers online.

Create Experiences – Danny Brown breaks down the experiences marketers can deliver to consumers that deliver value. Storytellers that people care about leave listeners with an impression that sticks with them after the story’s been told.

Key Takeaway: There are a lot of pundits out there (I’ve been guilty of it) who say you have to create great content for people to follow and care. To which you think, “Oh great! That’s what I was missing. My content just wasn’t great.” This blog post breaks down what ‘great’ really means for the end user: it saves time, it’s exclusive, it’s participatory and so on. It doesn’t just tell you to create great content. It defines what great means.

Be Recommendable – Brian Solis, one of my favorite social media thought leaders, outlines the importance of word of mouth and online recommendations, from both a brand and personal perspective. This doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of strategic planning and consistency.

Key Takeaway: A brand is only partly shaped by what it says it is. The rest is shaped by its actions and what others have to say about it. All brands (people and products) need to understand the story they have to tell, how they live it and how others can help them tell that story. We no longer control the channels. We have to trust and empower others to do the talking for us.

So You’re Delegating Social Media – Who to delegate social media marketing to and how are questions sure to come up when using social media, and The Agency Post gets tips from experts across the industry.

Key Takeaways: Many of the tips are ‘must dos’ like know what you’re asking, build a social media strategy and master the corporate voice, while others are certainly worth considering but should be customized based on your business needs and objectives. Ultimately, it comes down to what a business can handle and the best way to manage customer relationships.