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With a surge of interest in using social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to generate business, two executives caution that the trend's obvious marketing benefits are not without risk.

Misinformation and waning enthusiasm are among the possible downsides, said Marc Hausman, founder of Strategic Communications Group in Silver Spring, and Jiyan Wei, product manager for Vocus Inc.'s PRWeb in Lanham, who were among the dozen speakers at a recent Tech Council of Maryland seminar on using social Web sites.

While both consultants embrace the trend as a cost-effective way to shore up a company's Web presence, Hausman warned that businesses should monitor other blogs and profiles for negative or inaccurate information, while Wei predicted that the recent burst of enthusiasm will eventually peak.

One disadvantage to the social media boom is the lack of peer review and accountability, said Hausman, who also cautions against revealing too much personal information, such as children's names, on the Internet.

He advises business owners who find negative postings to respond quickly, as Exxon Mobil did when an imposter employee, "Janet," created a false Twitter account in July and began sending messages. While the account is still active, Exxon's claims of being "brand-hijacked" are all over the Web.

"The big downside is you have no control over what people say on the Web," Hausman said. "Anyone can write anything and it is all Web-searchable. We do have to be careful, and address any misinformation."

Wei helps companies convert conventional press releases into Internet-friendly postings for the public and runs a blog on attracting press with social networking, www.newinfluencer.com. He warned that social networking, with its unspoken rules of Web etiquette, is not an appropriate tool for direct advertising.

"Social networks resist any attempts at commoditization," Wei said. "They'll report spam. You have to make your content very friendly and very open."

Wei surmised that the enthusiasm of networking on social media will soon cede to "the real practical applications that are starting to emerge." While connecting through the Internet is a decades-old trend among computer experts, he said the ever-easier applications have created a recent "explosion into the mainstream" that will likely peak in a few years.

"We're like kids with a toy," Wei said. "Gradually, we get bored with it, but there are some tools and devices that make our lives easier. We're just starting to learn what they are."