Along with platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram come opportunities for marketing and customer service alike. With the promise of little to no cost for delivery and an expansive reach, social media has the potential to give businesses some serious ROI on their efforts. In order to maximize what’s at your fingertips with these channels, read on for some advice gleaned by observing a few companies who navigate the waters of social media with style.

Be Timely on Twitter

It’s no secret that Twitter is the king of brevity. Brands and their customers have no more than 140 characters to express gratitude, frustration or excitement. It can be tough to have a thorough conversation or gather ample information with such concise exchanges. But despite the challenges, Twitter provides a great way to engage with customers and be responsive to their needs.

Lifelock is an example of a brand that does this well. Through Lifelock's Twitter account, the identity theft protection company gets back to its customers in real time. By posting tips and timely content that relates to world news, the company’s Twitter page is a gold mine of information too. Lifelock also isn’t afraid to share a bit of personality in its posts, either, which humanizes the brand. If you want to establish a connection with your customers, respond quickly to your customers and offer them something more than promotional posts about your products.

Be a Friend on Facebook

A good rule of thumb with social media is to think about the reasons why people spend time on certain channels. While all of these platforms are geared toward social connections, Facebook is especially set up as a forum for bringing friends together. With your business’s presence on Facebook, keep this in mind. People who are active on this site like to stay up to date with friends, so your job is to be their friend.

Burt’s Bees is an example of a company that excels at this. If you look at the company’s Facebook page, you see personality in spades. Images and video are interspersed with text posts, and a dry sense of humor is a constant theme throughout. It’s obvious the page is meticulously maintained, and the vibe stays fresh. By using a variety of content, and interacting through likes and conversations via comments, Burt’s Bees is able to give its customer base an additional way to engage with its brand. You can do the same if you focus on honing your business’s voice and finding ways to be friends with your clients.

Instantly Respond on Instagram

Instagram can be a tricky social platform for businesses that want to interact with customers via social media. As a primarily visual channel, most people don’t resort to Instagram to complain about a product or service so the chance to fix problems isn’t as common as it is on Twitter and Facebook. Since opportunities for traditional customer service can be a bit more limited, it’s important to find creative ways to connect with consumers.

The Honest Company does a wonderful job of using its Instagram account to build rapport with its buyers. By periodically posting images of new products, the brand exposes its customers to its never-ending evolution. When people leave comments on these pictures, The Honest Company responds back individually and quickly. It doesn’t give short answers, either. Its responses to customers are often in-depth and personalized. If you want to give your target buyers something to hold onto, make them feel noticed and unique. Instead of cursory acknowledgements, respond to them specifically and thoroughly on Instagram.

Social media channels offer plentiful ways to reach out to your customers. Use these channels to post timely news and tips, share some personality and get familiar with your buyers. If you maximize the customer experience in these ways, you’ll not only create loyal fans, but you’ll also reap the benefit of positive word-of-mouth marketing via social media.