The 5 types of people who post on brand pages

After making the switch from journalism to social media management on the agency side, it became evident within weeks that there were five common types of social media community members.

Sure, there are always anomalies and exceptions to the rule, and you should always be prepared for the unknown. But here they are, the five archetypes who post on brand pages (and how best to engage them).

The discount/coupon seeker

“Coupons!”

I was hours into my new position as social media manager when I saw that post from someone who was a fan of the brand I manage. It was that simple. A word and an exclamation point. But in that simple post was one of the most common things I see across brands. The people who “like” your Facebook page and follow your brand on Twitter want something.

As a colleague wisely reminded me, this is permission marketing. By “liking” the page, they’re essentially giving that brand permission to present content to them. Therein lies a responsibility to make your content relevant and worthwhile. It also means that these fans (with some exception) want something in return for granting that permission—discounts, coupons, or some insider information about your product.