Welp, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon is finally in full swing. It seemed like forever that they were running TV spots promoting Jimmy’s Facebook page, Webisodes, and a million other social networking sites.  At first the constant advertisements were a dismal reminder that my nights would soon be Conan-free, but I got used to the idea and decided to give Jimmy a chance.

I figured if he was going to spend so much time on social media sites, I should pay attention. We always talk about how important it is for people and companies to listen to their audience. Jimmy is a perfect example of this. He was listening to his fans online for months before his show premiered. This was especially crucial when trying to create a smooth transition for Conan to Jimmy.

Let’s be serious, Jimmy’s got it hard having to fill Conan’s shoes. Especially since he’s like 10 feet tall. But really, over the last 16 years he has gathered a very following. I think all of us were a little nervous to see how Jimmy was going to handle it.

I was really surprised at how naturally Jimmy took over Late Night. Not only did he get through his first week alive, he actually did really well. But what was even more surprising is that all of the social media sites that led up to the Late Night premiere are still active. Every night last week Jimmy either mentioned the blog or his twitter account. He actually asked Cameron Diaz questions submitted from his Twitter followers. Who knows how long he will keep this up, but I think it’s a great way to keep and build his audience.

So Jimmy’s first week was good. That could have been due to the fact that most of his guests were people he had worked with in the past, but let’s keep it positive. He’s started out really well and I think he will continue to do well as long as he doesn’t ditch his online presence. It was essential for build-up into his Late Night premiere and it will continue to be an asset if he wants to stay relevant.

GM has a great blog that allows customer access to all things GM. Like any blog, customers are able to leave comments and give feedback on GM’s new developments. GM is also really good about tweeting. There is a Twitter feed on their blog so that their audience has the latest information possible.

Zappos‘ brand is all about customer service. Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos is known for creating a company that truly values their customers and employees. Hsieh has said that they are all about listening to customers and trying out their suggestions. And he’s not just saying that. He has his own Twitter account that he regularly updates.  75% of their businesses is from repeat buyers.

Dell is one of the few large companies that is taking full advantage of social media. They’ve got the listening and engagement thing down. They have their own blog, “Your Blog” which provides information in a more personal, less corporate/markety approach.

Comcast is currently known as one of the best social media practitioners. After hearing customer complaints, Comcast decided to get involved in the conversation. Comcast can now be found on Twitter under ComcastCares. Comcast knows that listening to their customers is imperative to the success of their company. They have found through using Twitter that customers appreciate being able to communicate with a real person they can relate to.

Microsoft has had a very open approach to blogging, which has helped them lately with the news of a new Internet Explorer virus. Microsoft was actually the first to report the virus, starting a media storm. Security experts have advised users against using IE until the patch has been proven effective. Microsoft has dealt with this really well by responding quickly and being as transparent as possible.

Here are some honorable mentions of C-suites taking advantage of Twitter.