“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.

Social Should Be Part of Company DNA – Giselle Abramovich gets the opinions of five digital influencers on the role social media can and should play within organizations. Spoiler alert… it’s much deeper than having a Facebook Page. Thought leaders discuss leveraging data, interlocking your marketing channels, using social proof and more.

Key Takeaway: Social media belongs in company DNA and should not be viewed as just another channel to push information out to consumers.

Social Media Under-Valued and Under-Invested – AdAge discusses Rex Briggs’ new book in which he finds that 40% of marketers’ budgets are wasted, and they aren’t spending enough on social media. Marketers are undervaluing the importance of advocacy and using social media as just another add-on for awareness campaigns.

Key Takeaway: Social media is not an awareness channel. Its role is to create and encourage advocacy, but that benefit is the result of time and investment. Social media should not be viewed as a “free” supplement to work already being done. It should be part of budget and planning considerations from the very beginning.

The Social Landscape Changes Constantly – This is more of a “wow… that’s crazy” kind of article from Jay Baer as he outlines 11 shocking social media stats, including 56% of Americans have a profile on a social networking site, and Facebook has a big influence on purchase decisions.

Key Takeaway: For every social media stat out there, you can usually find another that says the opposite, so I tend to take stats with a grain of salt unless they’re very reputable. The report the stats are pulled from come from Edison, so you can bet that it’s reputable. The biggest takeaway is that the landscape is changing constantly, so we can’t take facts for granted. What was true yesterday may not be true today. Always stay on top of how things are evolving.

Listen with Purpose – Scott Fiaschetti outlines some of the common misconceptions about social listening. It’s hip. It’s cool. Clients want to do it. Marketers, however, need to understand why they’re listening and what they want to get from it.

Key Takeaway: Social listening is one aspect of social media marketing. It’s a means to an end, and marketers need to understand what that desired end is before they start listening. There should be a desired objective. Otherwise, you’re listening just to do it. That’s a waste of time and money.

Manage Social Media Measurement Expectations - Social media isn’t lacking in data. Brands can prove the value of their social media efforts, but expectations need to be reset, according to Adam Kimiec of Campbell Soup.

Key Takeaway: Align early on a measurement framework and evaluate often (before, during and after). Social media isn’t designed to deliver short-term, immediate value when a brand is just getting started. A brand investing in social media is investing in the long-term value of a community.