Successful interactive marketing engagement with users across social media is not just about attracting their attention; it is about maintaining that interest and engagement on an ongoing basis, as a new survey shows.

Once users have made the decision to befriend your brand on Facebook, what makes them change their minds and stop following you?  The new survey from DDB and OpinionWay suggests that the key reason is disinterest; that the information if "no longer of interest to me" or "the information available was not interesting".

Overall, some 40% of users polled had already unsubscribed from at least one brand page, with nearly half of French respondents having done so. 

According to the survey, Facebook users in the US, UK and France are now following fewer brands.  They are also becoming less likely to engage with brands overall; less likely to like a brand, post on a brand's wall, play branded games or enter competitions.

Around a fifth - 21% - of users think that they receive too much information from brands. 

There is a glimmer of hope in the US though, where consumers remain relatively willing to pass along branded content to their friends, which has been shown repeatedly to be one of the most effective brand strategies across social media.

So what is the key? Facebook relationships need to be managed carefully, to meet the needs and wants of the consumers, not the demands of the brand; every message needs to be timely and relevant to fans, constantly bearing in mind that "unlike" is just a simple click away.