“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 from the Top – Business Insider covers how Virgin became and remains a social company. Reasons include social media activity being everyone’s responsibility, having a culture of listening, integrating social management technology and having a culture of innovation.

Key Takeaway: You can see the difference between a business that is social and a business that is doing social—and that’s culture. Virgin has adopted a culture of being social and being close to the consumer, and that culture starts from the top. Without buy-in from the top, being a social business is almost impossible.

Social Media is Cultural – The New York Times points out that social media has permeated into our culture to the point that advertisers no longer need to explain social media to their audiences when its featured in ads. Terms like “fans,” “like,” and “social network” have reached the point of almost universal understanding. Social media is finding itself in a prominent position in advertising because people understand it.

Key Takeaway: Facebook Pages, tweets, status updates have been around for a relatively short amount of time, but they’ve become part of our everyday culture and language. People understand it, and advertisers are starting to figure out what this means for their businesses. The good news is advertisers no longer need to explain every detail of what they want consumers to do. This means social calls-to-action can be shorter and clearer.

The Psychology of Social Relationships - Fousto Mendez writes that connecting with a brand through social media channels is a different experience psychologically for consumers than other marketing channels.

Key Takeaway: Connecting with a brand through social channels may be a different psychological exercise, but it’s a brand’s responsibility to deliver value when that value exchange takes place.