Social Media Archetypes

Blackbaud wrote a blog and shared an infographic outlining social media archetypes. Social media archetypes are typically the different types of consumer personalities and how each of them engage with social media. In the last post on Brand Identity, we briefly mentioned a sub topic on organization. We explain that there are different consumers with different personalities and your level of engagement must be tailored to the right consumer. Approaching each consumer in the same way while time-saving is a lazy approach and the consumers will begin to notice this pattern. It is important to develop a unique experience with your audience so that they feel that there are important to your brand. This article narrows down the archetypes to 4 different different social media archetypes giving you an overview of what type of audience you have access to.

4 Social Media Archetypes

Key Influencers

This is the big one in social media archetypes. Everyday there is an article on how to track key influencers, how to engage with them and how to get them to notice you. There are indeed important because they can help you gain a wider reach, which means increasing your audience and distributing whatever message, you want out there. Another important thing to note is that key influencers also influence people they do not know because people share whatever they post so there are many 3rd, 4th, 5th party connections and the message reaches a bigger audience. Like the infographic illustrates their posts also generate and determine social media discussions. You have to monitor their posts and see the way the engage, through that you determine how best to reach them and communicate. Developing a relationship is important and using a specific communication style to engage is key.

Engagers
Next up we have the engagers. The difference between key influencers and engagers in social media archetypes is that engagers influencers the people they know personally. While key influencers have a wider reach that is including people, they do not know the engagers have a big reach but one that is limited to their inner circle. They have a well-established network. The infographic shows that they are opinionated so they give their personal opinions on whatever message you are putting out there. This makes them easier to trust which is of course part of the reason they have a strong inner network. Those in the network will trust them to say the trust and since they all probably have the same opinions, they would be most likely to also distribute the message because they agree with the cause.

Multichannel Consumers
What makes this group unique? You can find them offline too! The trick is inviting them to participate online. They mostly deal with face-to-face interaction so they can influence on some level but this is not a major part of their personas. Blackbud the website that developed the infographic advises that you seek feedback from this set of people. Their engagement level on social media is moderate but through feedback with the use of votes, polls or personal stories your message gains traction because others will see them doing this.

Standard Consumers
This group of social media archetypes gets social content from their close friends and family. How they can influence is through word of mouth that is by sharing personal experiences they have had with your brand or organizations.

Important Takeaways from Social Media Archetypes Infographic

Prevalence
Key Influencers make up 1% of the social media archetypes so you have to search very hard to find them. Thankfully, there are social media platforms for that. Engagers make up 5%, Multichannel Consumers 45% and Standard Consumers 49%.

Content
Users of social media generate 80% of content. This alone should tell you just how useful social media is. This content comes from the key influencers and engagers. They are small but mighty.

Money
Engagers actually bring in the most money cashing in at 41% followed by key influencers coming in second at 25%. Multichannel consumers bring in 18% of the money and standard consumers 16%.

Social Trust
Above all people trust people they know so their friends and family. Others seek the help of online reviews by people they do not know and 60% of social media users write reviews online.