Have character. Be round. By that I don’t mean start eating all the ice cream you want. I mean be “dynamic, complex, and unpredictable. Surprise us in a convincing way” (Great Courses Series on Artful Reading).

For example, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Their Facebook page offers fun with flipped out Fridays,inspiration by supporting social causes, and photos of their finalists at a fair trade cocoa farm. People want to become a fan because you never know what they are up-to. What they are involved in. And they just seem to be full of life—all the things a character should be—dynamic, complex, and unpredictable.

On the other hand, flat characters in social media might try to surprise us with their unpredictability, but they are unconvincing so the conversation runs dry. One example of that is Quaker Oatmeal Facebook page. Every morning there is the same question: How did you eat your oatmeal this morning? It might be worded differently, but it is the same question. It is like a bad marriage. It lacks passion, intrigue, and spontaneity.

What a great idea! MEDADNEWS asked 30 industry experts to write their predictions in a 140-character tweet. The author collected the tweets, categorized the tweets, and published them in an article in a twitter style format.
What at terrific way to get a broad view of industry leaders opinions, perspectives, and predictions.

“How do we get more friends on Facebook,” said the communication manager. However, the question that should really be asked is, “Have I taken my friends to a place where they can’t go on their own?” Yep, that’s right. Your Facebook status and page should tell a story and fill a void in your friends mind—much like a good book or movie. This of course will take a concerted effort and a strong story matrix, but it will be worth it to include your friends on your journey.

From the book What’s Your Story? By Mathews and Wacker. Stories usually do the following:

1. Convey ethical or moral positions
2. Develop some sort of relationship ideal between an individual and authority
3. Show us the appropriate responses to life and model behavior
4. Help us remember the past, interpret the present, and dream about the future
Well, these are some good ideas to help us get started in developing an effective story matrix that will take your friends to a place they can’t go on their own.