The other day, I was traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and I finally understood the amazing impact of social media.

I find that I meet so many business contacts on airplanes, at bus stops, on trains, etc.  How do you maximize your interactions within such a short window of time?

Let’s use the analogy of a five-course meal, because let’s face it: it’s the only kind worth having.

1^st Course—Soup:
This is that awkward moment when you’re sitting before the airplane takes off.  You’re surveying the landscape.  You look at who is sitting around you and scope out potential connections.  If there’s a baby nearby, you know you’re in for a fun flight…

2^nd Course—Salad:
Here’s where you smile at the person next to you.  If they smile back, you introduce yourself, “Hi, my name is Jessica.  What’s yours?”  Simple.  Casual.  At least you’re not complete strangers now.  There’s a flight announcement letting you know it’s safe to turn on your electronic devices.  Two hours until landing.

3^rd Course—Appetizer:
If you’re going to get to know anyone, here’s where you’ll start.  You glance over and notice the person next to you typing up some kind of agenda.  You nod in the direction of the screen and say, “—That for work?”  One hour until landing.

In the marketing industry, we are always curious about our consumers. With just a little bit of in-between-the-lines thinking, we can decipher Facebook’s most infamous profile pictures. Think of it as client research.

1.     Flying Solo: The person that is always in the picture alone.  Could it be that they derive pleasure from being narcissistic?  The only time you see them in a picture with anyone other than themselves, is when they are holding a puppy up to their face and smiling oh-so-brightly.  Isn’t that cute?

2.     Two Peas in a Pod: The person that is always seen with a significant other.  You feel like you have lived their entire relationship inside and out.  You went on their first date together.  You were there on their anniversary.  When they bought a puppy.  When they moved in together.  Are you ready for the wedding?

3.     Lost in the Crowd: The person that you can barely see in the profile picture.  You could swear that the girl on the far right-hand corner is the girl you met in the bar yesterday night, but then again, could it be the girl in the middle?

4.     Animate This: The person that puts clip art as their profile picture.  Are they trying to say something about their personality?  Is it an inside joke?  Or maybe it’s just because that person can never seem to take even ONE decent looking picture!