The Hotel Lobby

it used to be, before there were social networks, that chatting and having a conversation with colleagues or friends occurred in a hotel lobby, usually over drinks and usually before or after dinner. It was a pleasant time when people let their hair down and discussed both business and personal issues. It was a time when opinions were given, facts offered and disputed, beliefs expressed and non verbal communications displayed.

Today the "informal communication" is a social network phenomenon. Twitter, Facebook, My Space, old fashioned email and even this blog are the "new media"; the new way we communicate.

While this new media is both powerful and pervasive, it lacks the so called non verbal communication cues we, as humans, find so helpful in understanding the message.

So here's the tip: when using this new media, make sure that your communication tells a story; that it become a conversation that speaks to one person, like "talking in a hotel lobby" to a friend or business acquaintance.

For those of you that have a facebook page or a twitter account or even a regular old email, before you put your flier up on your page, try to tell a story about your center, your offer, and your benefits.

Make it personal. Because communication is always personal and is always created by the receiver.

Then maybe, just maybe I will read it.