People across the country are on social media sites, “liking” photos, updating their statuses and reporting to their friends what restaurants they have been to and what products they are buying. Patrons who choose to install a company or store’s app may be rewarded with special discounts, early bird access to sales or get first dibs on tickets for an event.

Social media sites like Facebook, Four Square, Twitter, and Pinterest have opened up a new medium businesses can use to reach consumers, most of whom are already engaged and interested in your brand or products. Companies may communicate directly with their customers about sales, promotions and other information, and since people are on social networks every hour of the day, it’s a unique 24-hour advertising opportunity.

These sites can also help companies monitor complaints and issues and remedy a situation instantly. For example, a designer had a much-anticipated online sale and the heavy traffic crashed her website. Many people were locked out of the sale and took to Facebook to complain. A customer service representative was able to work with each person who posted so they had access to the site as quickly as possible.

It pays to pay monitor social networking sites, use them to interact with your customers and respond to their feedback. Customers who feel like they are getting a higher level of customer service are more likely to return to your store or restaurant again.