The 5 Levels of Competitiveness in Social Media
May 7, 2008 12:18 pm Social Media
As you become increasingly active in social media, you will find a wide variety of competitiveness across the board. Some want to be regarded as A-list bloggers, to reach a top status on social bookmarking sites, and to have the most number of friends on Facebook. While some can maintain genuine relationships with people, others see them as part of their massive network. Competition is usually healthy, depending on the amount of competitiveness involved.
Although there are many gray areas between each level, I have observed roughly five main levels of social media competitiveness and involvement.
Lurker
Lurkers exist online; they just aren’t visible. These people don’t actually participate. They quietly watch the activity on their favorite sites. They may identify core sites and users that they admire or enjoy and follow them religiously. Even the most offensive of posts won’t incite a comment from them. Although these lurkers might sign up for an account on a social site, they are usually the users without an avatar. Their activity on these sites is minimal, and their contribution is non-existent.
Dabbler
Dabblers are active in social media just for the fun of it. They don’t care if anyone knows them and only interact with a minimal number of users. They go to Facebook to connect with real life friends and go to social news sites to vote on stories that intrigue them. They will only tag stories for personal use. These users are usually those who use social media sites, but don’t realize how much they can grow within them. Dabblers make up the bulk of social media users. They are absolutely oblivious to the various tools, applications, and help forums that are available for the sites they are active on.
Part-timer
Part-timers have a few accounts that they are active on. They subscribe to their favorite blogs and make sure to check them out when a new post has been published. They participate when they have the time to, but real life intrigues them much more. A part-timer will assist others when needed but isn’t always accessible online. Part-timers are the users who will submit their blog to Digg and wonder why they only got two votes; these users still have a limited understanding of how to best use these sites.
Hard-core user
This person is invested in social media and usually spends a few hours a day participating in the space. They are involved on many channels and are major contributors to the community. They want to share knowledge and add value. These people typically interact with anyone in the space, regardless of their level. They believe that the exchange that they have with various users is fulfilling. Although these hard-core users are extremely driven and would like to have top user status, they will avoid taking advantage of other users to get there. Due to their high involvement, these users will install and rely on user-scripts and alerters to simplify their online experience.
Pro
While not all Pros are uber competitive, most uber competitive users make it to the Pro level. They will duplicate a submission if it means it will increase their popularity rankings. They enjoy the attention they get from being on the top of the totem pole and will continue to invest time, effort and money into building it. They constantly check their statistics to ensure that they are still ranking very high. Immersed in the social media world, the pros are usually the first to know about breaking news stories and technology innovations. They are privy to technology short cuts and will utilize them to assist in maintaining their status. They have a wealth of knowledge about the various spaces and will only share it with those who have proven their worth. However, trade secrets are only shared with their tight circle of top users.
Loading ...Update: The “Pro” section has been updated to clarify my intention.
Thanks to Tanner Hobin for creating the image.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
You know I gotta say I am more of a Hard Core user. I am not a cut throat as Pro. Also this was a very well written article I think it does define the levels of competitiveness.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
i am hardcore, and like to hang around with the pros because they’re fun to watch. i am not sure i have the drive to become a pro … the only thing that makes me act like one is that damn tweet140.com.
so … hardcore … is good right?
May 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
It is an interesting comparison. I guess I would be “mostly” hard core. However, you have painted the Pro as an elitist and someone who most users will not like. Does the Pro have to “take advantage” of everything like that? I would consider SilentJay a pro social media user, but not in the description you gave.
In any case, very interesting read.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I don’t even know where I stand these days, probably around “hard-core”. But I am captain competitive and have a lot of time on my hands right now sans job, so who knows??
Great article Reem, I’m continually impressed with your thoughts and observations about social media.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Wait a minute!
Where’s the “Whining Australian Curmudgeon” category??
May 7th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I agree, the term Pro would normally mean the expert that everyone looks to for information - the description here is more “aggressive hoarder” - someone who will do anything to get to the top of the pile no matter who they upset.
Great otherwise.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I think that the way the ‘Pro’ is framed makes people very unlikely to vote that way. Even if you use social media every day at work, I don’t think anyone wants to be seen as cut-throat in such a collaborative space.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Fantastic article. I think its great how you effectively categorized the whole social media sphere into 5 levels.
As for myself I think I am on the “Hard Core” level.. Although I will say if I had any good “shortcuts” I probably would use them.
Thx
May 7th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Good point guys, but when I say “Pro” I am talking in terms of competitiveness. While not all pros are uber-competitive, most uber-competitive users make it to the pro level. I will actually add that to the post for clarification.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
I fall somewhere between part time and hard core, but enjoy hanging out with the pro’s or as I refer to them as the “social media elite”
Good take
May 7th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Fun post, Reem. Guess this makes me hard-core. Not sure if I want to be pro from how you frame it.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I think the categories are honest and fairly accurate. The pro category especially.. and I say that’s because of its bluntness. Sure, I doubt many users would willingly ‘fess’ up to their pro tendencies because of its seemingly negative connotations, but there’s no doubt that these users are out there in social media and participating exactly as described. I think I personally fall between PT and HC— a part-time hard-core user, if you will.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I’m somewhere between Hardcore and Pro. I selected pro however because today I buried every dupe Digg offered up with mai submits!
May 7th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I would consider myself a hybrid between “Hardcore” & “Pro”
Mainly because I am a hardcore user that spends hours & hours of my day surfing around the different Social Media sites… But, I seriously despise duplicate submissions. Especially the intentional dupes. (#)
Yep… I notice. And I bury.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I’d like to think that being a pro won’t always carry that particular description. So, for now, let’s just say that ‘hardcore’ sounds more appealing.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
[...] Read more The 5 Levels of Competitiveness in Social Media | SOCIAL IMPRESSIONS [...]
May 7th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I would probably be a hardcore user if I had more time, but not having a job that puts me in front of a computer limits the amount of time I can put into social media. So I am only a part timer.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Guess I’m a lurker.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Used to be hardcore, dropped to somewhere above part-timer because of running my own business and doing client campaigns that don’t involve voting or link baiting…
May 7th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Great article. I voted hardcore, though I had to think about it for a bit. I mean, I’m not a part-timer and sure as hell not a pro, but I don’t know I’m exactly hardcore either. But that’s as close as anything, I reckon.
My hesitation is that I could really give a shit about my rankings or badges or karma or whatnot. I’m not in it to win it. Just to play.
Oh what the hell do I know?
Anyway, great post, as usual. Keep it up, kiddo.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
You’ve left out the biggest category by far - the “don’t care & not interested” group. Am onky here because my boss (a cet 4) sent the link out.
Actually, I am an active social media user - read books, watch TV, talk to people, etc. Oh. by the way, I also use a PC at work and have a couple at home, use an MP3 play, etc, etc. However, I only use them when there is value in it, not for the sake of it.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Bdog - lurker - lol
I voted pro because I spend so much time on it, but doesn’t “Pro” mean I should be making some money or something?
PAY ME, DIGG, FOR ALL OF THE WASTED YEARS OF MY LIFE PUTTING STORIES ON YOUR SITE ONLY TO WATCH THEM GET BURIED!
Sorry, just had to get that out of my system.
I’m a lurker with benefits.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Social Networking examined in practical compartments. Half the fun is figuring out which compartment you and your friends belong in.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Uh, I just like the the girls.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:31 am
Yeah… I’m hardcore. I think it’s interesting that it’s assumed part-timer’s wouldn’t use scripts and alerters, I bet they do too.
In light of the description on hard core, I’ll never get there because that doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
I also could care less about my rank to be honest. I have goals but rank never factors in.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I have to go with part-timer because I’m not very smart about how I handle my social news activity. In fact, I’ve curtailed my social news activity a lot to focus on blogging and bookmarking.
And Twitter. Bloody Twitter.
So, I’d say hard-core blogger, microblogger, and almost hardcore bookmarker. Almost dropping down to lurker status for social news.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I am hard core although there are days when I prefer to lurk and days where I dabble for fun. Mostly, I try “hard core” to participate in the various conversations around the web. I would say, I’m a little bit of all of them.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Just found your blog via a twitter convo you were having with @jowyang. Fantastic description of not just the level of social media participation but most people’s evolution into new media.
Just about all of us begin as Lurker’s and start moving up the scale. I think the pyramid is also a pretty good representation of the amount of folks you have in each category.
Will have to read some more posts of yours Reem 8).
May 9th, 2008 at 5:40 am
I have to say I jumped into this hardcore… I enjoy every minute of it.
I just really like interacting with people and hearing what they have to say!
May 12th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Great article. Well defined. I’d say I’m hardcore too. Would you write an article about technology short cuts? Like what firefox plugins are useful?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:35 am
I suppose I’m somewhere between a part-timer and a hard-core user. Is that possible? Is it okay if I add a new category for part-timers who go at it hard-core on an irregular basis?
May 13th, 2008 at 9:16 am
@Big Easy Pete Of course you can. There are many gray areas between each level.
May 14th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Great article, i used some parts for my presenation. Especially the part of Hard-core user was quite interesting for me
May 26th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Interesting notion, but I was waiting for “the next step”. Are the levels of competition generally within people of the same type? Is there some sense that someone can graduate to a different level, based on competition? Or is the mention of competition simply a reference to the notion that there seem to be fewer people at each stage?
May 26th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
@Andrea Hill
Thank you for your feedback. This post looks at user habits on each level. Some people are comfortable being lurkers as opposed to pros, and their activities online reflect that.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I thought for Dabbler and Part-Timer, it would be fairer to add at the end “…and they don’t care.” Hmmm…maybe I’m being defensive here - SORRY - but there seems to be an implication that the Dabbler and Part-timer are somehow.. . DUMB and CLUEless. Some of us, you know, just don’t care.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
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November 12th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
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April 13th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
too big a jump from part-timer to hard-core. i think more of us are in between these.
use everyday, one or two medias (facebook and blog), know how to use, and try to use the best possible way. that is far from the hard-core described.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I am a competative lurker. Or maybe I’m a pro. Idk.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:20 am
most uber competitive users make it to the Pro level. They will duplicate a submission if it means it will increase their popularity rankings. They enjoy the attention they get from being on the top of the totem pole and will continue to invest time, effort and money into building it. They constantly check their statistics to ensure that they are still ranking very high. Immersed in the social media world, the pros are usually the first to know about breaking news stories and technology innovations.
March 17th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
thanks for your comemnt