I read a great article in my latest Fast Company magazine (the one I took on vacation last month so I could actually finish reading all the articles I usually only get to skim through) about Social Networking.
Seems that the brain is pretty consistent – just like it can't tell the difference between something that's vividly imagined and something that you've experienced in "real life", it processes an online interaction (such as one via social networking) in the same way as an in-person interaction.
That bodes well for people and businesses to build trust, but it also brings up the age-old question of manipulation.
So, I looked up the article online, and you can go read it here.
Or, watch the video from "Dr. Love" – the man who studies oxytocin (the "love" chemical), and who is behind the experiments in this article.
I suppose the studies also explain the large number of people who meet online and end up getting married.
I'd be curious to know if the same process was in play "back in the day" when we used to actually handwrite letters – instead of just sending emails. I know several people who "fell in love" while corresponding with each other via postal mails. As a handwriting expert, I know that the handwritten word is as expressive as the face, even if you don't know specifically what to look for. So I'm guessing the connection was just as strong, if not stronger.
And, that gives your handwritten post cards and thank you notes to customers and clients just that much more importance in developing trust.