The five types of social media user

Do you really understand your audience online? Let’s take a closer look at the different types of personalities on social media.

If you’re making content for your business’s social media profiles, you need create with your customers in mind – so it pays to know a little more about them. Building buyer personas and dedicating time to social listening will help inform your social media and content strategy.

We are all different! But when it comes to social media, most of us fall into one of five personality types. It’s worth paying attention to how your customers behave online and how they interact with your posts – because identifying their personality type will help you create engaging posts that excite them!

So, let’s take a closer look at the types of social media personalities out there…

#1: The Just Plain Dead

Let’s get this one out of the way first! Twitter knows, and so do we, that some accounts have been gathering dust for years. Sometimes there’s a great purge (and you might see your Twitter followers drop) but it’s for the best. Dead accounts aren’t helping anyone.

#2: The Lurkers

Present but not particularly chatty doesn’t have the same ring to it, but we admit that ‘lurker’ does sound a bit ominous. Thankfully, these social media users generally mean no harm. They’re not hiding behind a corner, waiting to jump out at you. They’re just not feeling too sociable!

Lurkers normally won’t share posts, leave comments or like content – but that doesn’t mean they don’t see your content. Let’s show the lurkers some love – after all, it’s estimated that 90% of social media users are lurkers. We know you’re out there, and it’s okay! You do you.

#3: The Eggs-In-One-Basket Casual Commenter

We’re talking about the single-network users (often on Facebook) who love to share family photos, comment on what other people had for dinner and occasionally have random, lengthy conversations with you in comment threads that maybe belong in your private DMs.

These well-intentioned mums, aunties, old work buddies and the like will often drop you a mention in the comments of a relatable piece of content. Sometimes even in an advert for something they think you could do with – let’s just hope it’s nothing embarrassing.

#4: The Social Animal

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter – the works! These lovely people spend a great deal of their time sharing original content (like photos, status updates etc.), reposting content from friends, pages or business accounts, and dropping likes, comments and mentions all over the place. Their world is digital!

They’re the conversation starters, the people to go to for recommendations, the first people in your comment section. You can tell if someone is a social animal almost instantly. They just have a certain charm!

These are the people that will help you expand your reach, connect with new potential customers, and build your reputation as a trusted brand. If you look after your social animals, they’ll look after you.

#5: The Troll

There’s no escaping the trolls of the internet. These are the people who thrive on conflict, who actively look for opportunities to stir things up, from the back and beyond of the YouTube comments section (you must never go there) to the otherwise very pleasant space just below your own posts.

If we could give you two words of advice? Don’t bite. Don’t get sucked into a heated discussion in view of all your other followers, and don’t waste energy arguing in the DMs either. If the user has a complaint, your first step is to acknowledge their comment and then move the discussion swiftly to somewhere more private. This way you’re showing your followers that you do care about feedback, but you’re not opening yourself up to a public grilling.

It doesn’t always work out. Sometimes the comments section becomes a nasty place. Remember, you can monitor and hide comments that could be considered hate speech or harmful to your community – but do try to resist hiding or deleting any comments with genuine feedback, even if you don’t like what you’re hearing, as it can look a bit dishonest.

Get in touch

If you’d like to learn more about social media crisis management, or you’re interested in partnering up with an agency to nail your content strategy, get in touch!