Social media has undoubtedly made it much easier for businesses to engage with their customers. However, achieving true “social intelligence” — an understanding of the way customers, markets, and competitors’ minds work — is still a skill many brands have not fully mastered.

Businesses need to realize that only through “actively involving customers in generating intelligence on their changing needs and helping the organizations respond to those needs” can they achieve social intelligence. Here are eight fool proof ways to get there:

Sourcing via Social Media Today.