Yesterday’s big Facebook announcement integrating Deals into Facebook Places was certainly a slap in the face to other location-based apps, but it overshadowed the rolling out of some new features that could significantly change the way users interact with your brand. Now, anyone who had previously “liked” your brand can “unlike” it directly from their news feeds.

This action used to require a user to click through the news feed item to actually visit the brand page, then click on the “unlike” link located well below the fold in the often-ignored left-hand column. Now, a user can click on the “X” in the upper right corner of a news feed item and choose to “unlike” a page – or even go so far as to report the item as spam.

Data from the recently released 2010 Cone Consumer New Media Study indicate 58 percent of consumers will stop following a brand online if they feel the brand is over-communicating – the same percentage of consumers that will stop following if the company “acts irresponsibly toward its consumers.”

By making this process easier for users, Facebook just shifted the balance of control a bit more in the direction of the consumer. Brands – beware! Compelling content that resonates with your target audience is the only solution to ensure you continue to develop deeper relationships with your consumers.