It’s the Message that Matters

Social media don’t seem to have the soul of more traditional communication methods. They can be impersonal, and maybe it’s just too easy to send a few words, so your reader doesn’t always feel the depth of your message when you tweet, “Happy holidays, mom!”

I hate to break it to you, but it’s really not the fault of the medium. Any communication channel can be used to foster a heartfelt moment, because it’s the message that counts. It’s true that writing three words in careful calligraphy on homemade paper will carry more weight than those same words on Facebook, but that’s because the investment and materials are, in a way, part of the content of that message. So, when you sit down before the warm glow of your screen, remember that the time you are about to spend is part of the message.

We’d like to share a few tips for using social media to connect with your dearest but not nearest during the holidays.

1) Create a moment your reader can visualize. Tell him about the weather, what you hear, and what you see. What’s going on with you in that moment? Connect your reader with things he’ll find familiar.

It’s December 23^rd. I’m sitting on the couch with my tablet, being transported back to 2003 with the help of The Postal Service. I hope the volume is low enough that I don’t keep the kids up. They’ve only been in bed for 20 minutes, so they’re probably still pretending to be asleep while they listen to how the world goes on after their day is over.

2) Tie in memories. While time seems to keep trudging along in a linear manner, that’s hardly how we experience our lives. We’re a collection of memories.

Happy New Year @daughter221! Maybe you don’t want to start this one with two bottles of Pinot Grigio 🙂 #listentoyourmother

3) Make the medium part of the message. Create a hashtag for your family, so you can follow everyone’s tweets during your myriad celebrations. Do something with the technology that you wouldn’t be able to do with traditional media, like the father who used family photos to make a time-lapse video of his son growing up over 21 years and then shared it with the world.

At the end of the day, you could always send a traditional card with paper and ink, but you shouldn’t feel like this is the only way to make a real connection. Invest in your message–make it personal and evocative of your real-world experiences–and leverage the nuances of the medium.

Digital media are powerful, and if you use them to anywhere near their potential, you can create striking, touching, and unforgettable holiday messages.