It feels like Junior High all over again.  Everyone seems desperate for people to like them. Only this time, the schoolyard happens to be the social media hangout, Facebook and it’s not necessarily the pimply pre-pubescent kid, but local and national businesses.

What happens when everyone likes you?  Is there a race to see who’ll have the most “fans” or “likes?”  If so, I must have missed the memo or one of thousands of blog posts from various social media experts.  What exactly will you win?  A better question yet, will having the most “fans” or “likes” make your business the most profitable, successful company and the envy of all other businesses on Facebook?  I doubt it.  So what is this phenomenon really about?

1. Don’t buy into the theory that “he with the most fans/likes wins.”  Steer clear of companies that sell fans/likes to boost your numbers and give you something to boast about.  What value do these purchased fans/like give you in the end?

2. Don’t come across as desperate and beg for more friends.  It didn’t work in high school when you were trying to get a date, and it won’t work now.  People are turned off by desperation.

3. Don’t do the daily gimmick question of the day disguised as market research to try to engage conversation.  I’m surprised someone hasn’t asked me to “click like if you like breathing air.”  Again, what value do I receive as a fan?

4. Don’t litter.  Remember the old television spot with the American Indian shedding a tear when he saw litter floating in the river?  Don’t think your fans/likes won’t shed a tear when they open their facebook wall and see worthless posts littering their private rivers of information.  And despite what you may think, the chance to be one of several thousand fans/likes who may win a free order of French Fries from McDonald’s is not going to stop me from defriending you!

1. If you live by the numbers, you’ll die by the numbers.  To my knowledge, there is no prize for having the most. Remember quality is more important than quantity.  Rent-a-friends or people who like you because their cousin three times removed recommended they like you for a chance to win something have no real value.

2. People will like you for your true self.  Be true to your brand and operate in the social media space the same as you have been in the outside world.

3. Gimmicks may work for a while, but have you thought about what will happen once everyone tires of the chance to win something or being asked banal questions? Consider the true value your brand can offer instead.

4. At a certain point, FREE offers become meaningless clutter that our eyes become trained to bypass. What happens when giveaways and freebies don’t cut it any longer? Again, offer something free, but make it something your fans/likes will appreciate like resources and links tied to your brand’s specialty.

5. Have fun.  Loosen up and exercise your brand’s personality.  If your brand is friendly or likeable, don’t’ be a stuffed shirt.  No one likes the uber serious guy at the party. They’re likely to be hanging around the fun guy.

Practice a little common sense when approaching the Facebook/social media space.  Put yourself in the shoes of your fans/likes and ask the question “would I like to see posts like these everyday?”  and what real value can I offer to endear my true fans/likes that will lead to greater success.

Last week we looked at the first 5 branding trends you need to look for in 2010. This week we tell you the final 5 trends for marketers in 2010 that will have direct consequences to their branding and marketing efforts success or failure.

6) Engagement is the key.

Brand Engagement is the only objective for the future. There are four engagement methods: Platform(tv, online), Context(program, webpage), Message(ad, communication), and Experience(store/event). More and more will realize that to attain real brand engagement is impossible with out-dated attitudinal models.

7) Your name won’t matter.

Just because someone knows your name will matter less and less with sales being driven by online and international sales. A little known brand with the right street cred can go viral in days, with awareness following, not leading the conversation.

If you talk the talk, you got to walk the walk.

The consumer must believe in the brand identity if you’re going to be able to establish brand value. The days of just saying your brand stands something is over. Consumers will decide. Which is why it’s important for brands to be able to measure authenticity that will help in brand differentiation and consumer engagement.

9) What you stand for counts.

The value of your goods and services will be measured more and more by your brand and what it stands for.

10) Brand Value will be the difference.

Generic features will continue to plague the brand landscape as brands jockey for position. The days of awareness alone as a meaningful market force is over. Being unique and different with a real unique selling point that separates you from the competition is critical for brand success, sales, and profitability.

To accommodate these trends, some companies will require a big shift in how they do business. Some brands will respond to the new trends, others will not, but all will have to live with the results. What those results are will be decided by how well they respond to the realities of today’s changing consumer.