Today, I’ll be attending BlogWell in Chicago along with the fabulous and talented Rich McInnis. Radian6 is proud to be a sponsor of this event, which is put on by the folks at GasPedal.

Why are we going? Because more so now than ever, the real, practical application of social media is critical. We need to be talking about what’s actually working and not working inside the companies across the world that are putting these programs in place and learning – through real experience – how engaging customers through social media presents both rewards and challenges.

We’re looking forward to hearing from brands that are blazing trails in social media and establishing best practices for businesses just now dipping their toe in the water: Allstate, The Home Depot, Walmart, H&R Block, P&G, The Mayo Clinic, Sharpie, and even the US Coast Guard.

Investing in some kind of social media is becoming less and less optional for brands in the Web 2.0 world. But it’s also critical that businesses are taking a hard, practical look at which elements of social media make sense for their business goals, their available resources, and most important of all, their customers.

So we’re headed down into the windiness of the Windy City to learn, absorb, and meet some of the great people we’re fortunate to work with each day in these companies. And we’ll look forward to sharing with you more about what we learn so that you, too, can consider how social media applies to the business you’re working so hard to build.

If you’ll be in Chicago today, please stop by and say hello!