You may have noticed  changes to the Facebook Fan Pages over the past couple of weeks.  Facebook has actually dropped the “Become a Fan” button from your Facebook Fan Page, and has replaced it with the “Like” button.

Businesses and brands can create  Facebook pages to interact with their customers, fans, followers, etc.  In the past, followers could then click the “Become a Fan” button if they wanted to follow that brand.  Followers were then placed on the brand’s “Fan Page,” and the brand is listed as one of the user’s pages.

“Like,” by contrast, is a link placed by pictures, wall posts, and status updates on Facebook — users can click on “Like” if they want to give a thumbs-up to  pictures, wall posts, or status updates. If users click on “Like,” they are sometimes notified (depending on their e-mail settings) when other users “Like,” or comment on, the same post or picture.

According to Facebook, users click the “Like” button almost twice as much as they click the “Become a Fan”.  Facebook hopes that by making these changes from “Become a Fan” to “Like,” more users will click on it.

These changes not only effect the way people follow a page, but also the way it looks.  Now you can see a section that shows your Friends who have “Liked” the page as well as everyone who has “Liked” the page.

Liking’ a Facebook Page isn’t the same as ‘Liking’ a link, video, or status update a friend posts.

Liking a Page means you are going to follow to that Page and be connected to it. When you connect to a Page, it will appear in your profile and you will appear on the Page as a person who likes that Page.  On the other hand, when you click “Like” on a piece of content that a friend posts, you are simply letting your friend know that you like it without leaving a comment.

The “Like” button may  just be the first step in Facebook’s plans to expand their presence across the Internet.  There are rumors that Facebook plans to introduce a “Like” button for Web pages.