Social Media Guide

American Express joined the social media scene in 2009 with presences on Twitter and Facebook, aimed at providing customer service for cardholders.

American Express first made its appearance on Twitter with the @AskAmexhandle, focused on servicing Cardmember and merchant questions and needs; @AmericanExpress and the official American Express Facebook Page came soon after.

"Our mission is to be everywhere our Cardmembers and merchants are," says Berland. "To engage with them, service them, deliver unique value that's shareable and create seamless digital experiences that surprise and delight."

Since the beginning, American Express has built its social strategy on service, and it continues to improve its implementation by taking in user feedback. "We spent a great deal of time listening to the community. The community interests and feedback defined our strategy."

AmEx has come a long way — with nearly 2.4 million Facebook fans and more than 348,000 followers on Twitter for the American Express U.S. pages alone. Its presences have also expanded internationally, and the brand now supports efforts on LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube and Google+, as well.