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.
