Two Types Of People At A Sporting Event

Have you ever been to a sporting event or seen one on TV? ou will find two types of people at any sporting event. First there are players – people who make the event happen. Without them there would not be a sporting event.

Then there are spectators, people who come to watch the sporting event. There are many more of them than players. They are here to watch, not play and participate.

 

Same Two Types Of People Dominate Social Networking

You will see exactly the same thing on social networking web sites. There are players – people who actively participate, share and teach. They usually set the tone of the social networking site.

Then there are many more spectators – people who read and follow, but rarely express their opinion or do anything else.

Some people use a combination strategy. They sometimes participate and at other times observe. I call them playtators, a combination of a player and spectator.

 

Is Being A Spectator Bad?

No, all of the three models that I described can work, they will just work for different people. The model that you choose will depend on your goals for social networking.

For example, if your goal is to do research and find a target market for your business, being a spectator is fine. You will observe and see what your target market is doing, how it interacts and what kind of issues it is experiences.

But if your goal is to get clients in addition to doing research, then you must participate. First, listen and see what others are doing. But then jump in, participate, share your point of view and show your expertise. That is the only way to get clients and stop being a spectator.

 

Sounds Like A Playtator, Doesn’t It?

The model I describe above, both listening and participating, sounds like a combination of being a player and a spectator. Being a playtator (player and spectator) is best for social networking. You should definitely participate (player), but at the same time, if you keep talking without listening to others, many people will tune out.

Social networking is a two-way street. You will get the best results when you participate and listen to others.

For more information on using social networking to get clients, get my How To Get Clients With Social Networking Home Study Guide at https://www.avocadoconsulting.com/rlinks/znetwork

What are you? A player, spectator or playtator when it comes to social networking? Share in the comments!

Biana Babinsky

This entry was posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Social Media, Social Networking, Social Networking Sites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.