This blog post by a Microsoft online community manager on Why the Top Ten Facebook Pages Are Successful does a nice job providing a quick overview (with handy screenshots) of why fan pages for brands like Red Bull, Uno, The Travel Channel, Coca-Cola, and Toy Story 3 are really engaging. It’s because they offer photos, videos, games, polls, Web TV programs, discussion pages, and more.

I’ll boil it down further: It’s because they provide a place for great storytelling.

Telling stories creates a natural way for people to emotionally connect with a brand. Burt’s Bees tells behind-the-scenes stories about its lab and ingredients.  Oreo encourages consumers to relive and share their own stories by posting photos and writing about the experiences they’ve had with the classic childhood cookies.

The great thing about stories is they’re easy and often fun for consumers to remember and repeat to their lunch buddies, neighbors, and other small-talk circles. As a result, these storytelling brands spread their clout both online and offline.