Even though Facebook is gradually making progress as far as allowing some flexibility with what people can post on their wall, for the most part Facebook is still very limiting. While this is good, because it prevents Facebook from becoming just another graphical train wreck like MySpace became, it can also make it a little boring at times.

This is especially true when it comes to Facebook fan pages. When it comes to the fan page for a major company, the challenge is to make the Facebook page reflect the professionalism, and more importantly the brand, of the company itself.

Here at MUO, we love Fan Pages - especially our own! We've also written a lot about fan pages, like Nancy's list of the 10 most controversial, and Steve's article on how to create a welcome tab for your own Facebook fan page.

Browsing through the list of current Facebook fan pages, it becomes apparent pretty fast, which companies have paid for high-quality social networking experts. While the vast majority are just as drab and boring as most individual Facebook walls, there are a few companies that have really put the time and effort into producing awesome Facebook Fan pages.

Interesting Facebook Fan Pages

The following are 10 of my favorite Facebook fan pages. These aren't particularly my favorite companies, but they are fan pages that have clearly been developed with the fans in mind.

Coca-Cola

The first page I noticed was Coke's fan page. Coke is the one Facebook fan page I discovered that has to have more features available on the left nav bar than any other fan page on Facebook.

facebook fan pages

Scroll down the page and along the left bar you'll find things like the "Ahh-Giver" app where you can send a friend a "pick-me-up", downloads available exclusively to Facebook fans, and all kinds of fun marketing apps and activities.

SpongeBob Squarepants

When my kids were little, they absolutely loved SpongeBob Squarepants. This meant that most of the time when we were all sitting in front of the TV, we were all watching SpongeBob. I have to confess that it didn't take very long for me to become a fan of the stupidly hilarious sort of humor that you'll find on the show. If you're a fan - you can visit the SpongeBob Squarepants Facebook fan page.

facebook community pages

When you become a fan by "liking" the page, you get access to exclusive SpongeBob content, a Ustream page with content, access to the Twitter Tales episodes, and my favorite - a "Spongebob Mood" app where you can post your mood using SpongeBob's goofy poses.

M&M Fan Page

Do you like Chocolate that doesn't melt in your hands...well then mosey on over to the M&M's fan page where you can send your friends a message on Facebook using personalized virtual M&M's.

facebook community pages

You'll also find exclusive offers for FB fans, videos of the ads with the M&M animated characters, and different promotions from time to time. If you are a fan of chocolate, you can't really go wrong by liking this page.

Subway Fan Page

Like I said above, I don't particularly like fast food, but Subway is really fast food of a whole different flavor (pun intended). My favorite part of the Subway fan page is "The Flavorizer", where you build your own sandwich creation, and then get it featured right on the official fan page.

facebook community pages

Mountain Dew Green Label

I think one of the coolest Facebook fan areas I've ever seen has to be Mountain Dew. The main Facebook page  isn't really a whole lot different than fan pages of other companies, but you really hit the magic when you click on the "Green Label" link.

facebook public pages

Green Label is where Mountain Dew features music and videos from new, emerging artists. It's a small community within the Facebook social network where music lovers gather to appreciate cool, new music.

Xbox 360 Gears of War

If you're into gaming more than music, then you'll want to head on over to the XBOX 360 fan page. There, you'll meet other gamers and you can get news on the latest games. Best of all, XBOX 360 offers Facebook fans awesome online games, like the Gears of War 3 FB app.

facebook public pages

Spartacus Fan Page

Or combine games and movies, and head over to the very cool Spartacus Facebook fan page, where you can play Spartacus the online Facebook game.

Don't forget to visit Take Up Arms to see the trailer, Fan Fare to check out apps, downloads and Spartacus products.

Lovin' McDonald's

Now, I'm not exactly a fan of fast food, but you've got to give credit where credit is due. The social networking experts over at McDonald's obviously know their stuff. When you visit the McDonald's fan page, you can find a sweet deal if you type your zip into the Local app. Or play games at the "Latest" link, or download free burger posters if you're a major burger fan.

facebook public pages

Tron Takes the Prize

In my opinion, one of the coolest and most well-designed Facebook fan pages is by far the Tron fan page. Aside from the really cool Facebook Tron app, you can also click on "TRONiverse" to see one of the most creative and cool-looking interactive, animated displays of what Facebook fans are saying about Tron on Facebook.

Facebook Resources Page

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fan page for Facebook itself. There, not only will you be able to find the latest Facebook news and videos, but you'll also discover one of the most valuable Facebook resources - the Facebook Resources page.

facebook fan pages

If you ever have a question about security on Facebook, how to place an ad on Facebook or anything else, this is the first page you should check out. You'll find everything here.

So, those are my top 10 pics for the most well-designed and useful Facebook fan pages. Do you have any of your own favorites? What products and companies do you often check out on the world's most popular social network? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Image Credit: fstockfoto