Nearly every business these days is realizing the potential for using social media as a means to greatly increase their sales and visibility online. Unfortunately, this means that your competition is also greatly increasing, creating the need for you to not only use social media marketing, but to use it very well.

It is not enough to simply create a Facebook page and throw some bits of information on it. If you do it wrong, it can have a negative effect that harms your business rather than enhances it. Read some warnings here on things to avoid when launching a social media campaign on Facebook.

A very common mistake that many businesses make is failing to update their Facebook pages on a regular basis. If the content is old and outdated, it is worse than if you never had a Facebook page to begin with.

Stagnant information, particularly if it is obviously no longer relevant, can make your business seem neglected and out of the loop with what is happening today. It can signify that you are not staying on top of the trends or that you do not care about your customers. Update three times a week if at all possible, even if it is just to say hello, and ask your customers if they have any questions that you could answer for them.

Keep your Facebook posts professional while using a casual tone. This is not the place to tell cute little stories about your children’s birthday party or your dog’s new chew toy. The exception to this, of course, is if the story is tied to the products or services that you actually sell. People generally go to a business Facebook page because they are interested in your products, not your personal life.

This does not mean that you should remain faceless. Let them know there is a real person behind the business, and even have a section where you tell them who you are and what your background is. But refrain from posting every detail about your life and your family.

Another mistake business owners often make is posting things that do not actually provide valuable information to their customers. Talk about what you sell, and give interesting details that your customers may not already know. Give anecdotes about how the product has worked well in specific circumstances, or suggest ways that it can fill a need that your clients may have.

Look at what your competitors are doing on their social media pages and match the offers if you are able to do so. Are they using effective graphics or videos that show your products in a new light? Do they interact with customers in ways that you do not? Take some cues and be willing to give new methods a try. The last things you want is to be outshined on Facebook by other companies offering the same things that you do.

Always respond to posts and comments from customers on Facebook. Failing to do so can make you seem disconnected or uninterested in what they have to say. Your responses do not have to be elaborate, but make sure that you acknowledge the time they took to speak to you. Facebook is all about interacting, and those who use it expect you to do the same.

Use these guidelines to ensure that the efforts you make with social media actually work to your benefit rather than to your detriment. Move forward boldly and engage your customers is a way that is satisfying to everyone.