One of the great benefits of Facebook is that it helps businesses, especially small ones, connect with customers. Shoot, given that the site just broke the 400 million user threshold, it helps you connect with pretty much the whole world.

As CEOs of big corps on down to mom and pops have caught on, setting up a Facebook fan page is the way to go — as opposed to a group (too limited) or personal profile (limited, but also outlawed).

But as I’ve been more actively seeking out my favorite local businesses’ pages the past few months, I’ve noticed a few things. Things like…

The weather outside is frightful, but our X is so delightful! Come in and try our X.

It’s Thursday! That means big savings on X!!!!

It’s great that so many businesses and orgs recognize the need to use Facebook to reach customers and keep them up to date. And we understand that hardworking proprietors don’t have time to put a lot of thought into their posts. Nor can they afford to pay a part-timer to monitor discussion on social platforms — much less hire an agency to develop a grand campaign*. They’re busting their humps to meet the bottom line and make sure that they’re doing everything they can to appeal to customers in person and online. I salute them for that. That’s exactly what they should be doing.

But the truth is, trickling out sales information and blurting proprietary updates is not the best way to connect. Maybe someone will be persuaded to grab five friends and head to your bar because you posted “HEY EVERYONE WE JUST GOT THE NEW X ON TAP SPECIAL TONIGHT $3!!!!!” (And if you can find that person, you should let her and all her friends drink for free.)

Most people seek out your business on Facebook because they want to interact with you. They want to look at photos and videos and hear what you think the best new X on the market is or how you like working in a city with so many great X’s. Most of all, they want to be heard. Not just by other fans but by you.

Don’t X out our eyes with whatever it is you want us to buy or do after we walk in the door. Listen to what we’re saying, then tailor your status updates accordingly. Jump into threads and answer questions.

Give value.

Ask questions.

And if we aren’t talking at all? If you’ve been posting your lunch specials every day for months now, you’re getting nary a “like,” and you’re about ready to ditch this Facebook crap?

Well, before you do that, put down the megaphone and have a regular conversation with your customers. That’s what we’re here to do.

*We’re cheap!

Want to soar? Businesses could take inspiration from JetBlue’s All You Can Jet Pass. The commercial airline’s program quickly sold out. Customers who purchased the $599 pass could “choose from 57 cities and more than 600 daily flights.” They had access to “unlimited travel, any available seat.” It’s precisely this kind of unconventional thinking that ensures permanent brand loyalty and great publicity. (As this blog post affirms.)

It’s probably not what Jay-Z had in mind. His recent hit song “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” savagely attacks the rampant use of the voice-enhancement software. Yet the New York Times reports that, if anything, the song has increased Auto-Tune’s sales. It seems that the old adage is true- there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

Have you tried to buy a tube of toothpaste lately? The variety of options is staggering. Sorting through the different price points, flavors, sizes and gimmicks can take a careful consumer several minutes. A new study suggests that businesses err when they offer a massive selection of similar products. Many people simply become overwhelmed and end up purchasing nothing. Choice is good; too many choices is bad.

Everybody likes free.  At least, that is, until free fails.  Recent promotions by a fast food franchise and by a popular candy company left a bad taste in the mouths of tens of the thousands of disappointed customers.    It doesn’t have to end badly.  Businesses need to fully anticipate the consequences of their marketing efforts.  A massive campaign with national awareness isn’t necessarily better than a smaller, precisely targeted approach.

Sometimes an advertising campaign takes on a life of its own. T-Mobile’s outlandish flash mob events aren’t just visually spectacular- they also manage to resonate emotionally. Their latest effort finds thousands of people singing along to “Hey Jude” in London’s Trafalgar Square. It’s quite a sight. Not every advertiser has the resources to equal T-Mobile’s “Life’s For Sharing” campaign. But imagination, creativity and inspiration are free.

Forget everything you knew about marketing.  Release dates, elaborate product rollouts and shock-and-awe advertising campaigns are things of the past.  At least that’s Seth Godin’s theory.   He offers keen insights today at his blog.

You can no longer market to the anonymous masses. They’re not anonymous and they’re not masses. You can only market to people who are willing participants…  the idea of a ‘launch’ and press releases and the big unveiling is nuts.

Is Godin correct? Clearly, today’s environment offers new challenges. With them, however, come new opportunities.