So you’ve written an article or posted a video that has created buzz in your community. Awesome! But now you notice that people are commenting online and starting discussions about your content. What do you do next?

We live in the age of the enlightened buyer, with consumers already 60 percent of the way through the buying process before reaching out to a vendor. Customers vastly prefer interacting with organizations online as they begin the buyer’s journey.

Savvy marketers look for ways to talk back.

While responding to our friends and family on social media is a part of our daily lives, things get a bit trickier when responding to customers and prospects. So we’ve compiled some tips to help guide you through the process.

Lead score your commenters

Comments are great. Comments from your target prospects are even better. Do some research and vet your commenters. A lot of information can be learned through a basic Google search or LinkedIn. Ask yourself if the commenter is a serious prospect, an unlikely buyer or even a competitor. Having this information will help shape your response.

Respond quickly AND personally

39 percent of commenters expect a response within one hour. The average response time is five hours.

While it is incredibly important to quickly respond on social media, it is also crucial that you respond personally. Of course it is important to represent your brand and reply within professional standards, but nobody wants to talk to a corporate robot. This is where your Google and LinkedIn research can also come in handy. Discover your commenter is a fan of the Washington Redskins? Commiserate with them on the team’s last crushing loss while also addressing the question or comment.

Be helpful and follow up

As marketers we have treasure chests full of content. So instead of simply answering a question or continuing a discussion, offer your commenters resources so they can learn more. Don’t go for the hard sell, rather point customers down the right path on their buyer’s journey.

And finally, offer yourself up as a resource and let your commenters know that they can contact you if they would like to discuss anything further.