An in-depth study that identified 10 distinct social media personality types, from the 'Social Visionary' to the recognizable 'Social Ranter.' The research findings show consistency of these personality types across age, gender and cultural lines.

1. 10 SOCIAL MEDIA
PERSONALITY TYPES

2. The Social Athlete
Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living.
Extremely thorough, responsible, and dependable. Well-
developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in
supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-
organized and hard working, they work steadily towards pre-
identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once
they have set their mind to it.
Profile photos are head shots with informal dress in outdoor
setting or behind desk in professional setting. Often actively
participating in 8+ social media platforms. Joined the
maximum number of groups for each platform. Profiles are
complete and they boarder on spammer for the number of
daily tweets and posts.

3. The Social Luddite
Quiet and reserved, not interested in the latest and
greatest tech-anything. Reluctant participant in the
world of social media. Uncomplicated in their desires.
Loyal to their peers and to their internal value
systems. They excel at finding solutions to practical
problems.
Often have no profile photos. Less than 3 social
media accounts.

4. The Social Nurturer
Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Usually puts the
needs of others above their own needs. Stable and
practical, feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value
traditions and security. Interested in serving others. Need
positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Well-
developed sense of space and function.
Profile photos are often animals (cats being the most
common) or group photos with two attractive friends. Their
posts are characterized with large numbers of smiley face
emoticons and pictures depicting motivational sayings.
Have an average of 4.25 social media accounts but only
active in 1 or 2

5. The Social Lazies
Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held
value is threatened. Usually talented writers.
Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities.
Interested in understanding and helping people.
Profile photos are head shots with informal dress.
Like to automate, using tools (like Hootsuite) and
schedule bulk posts.
Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in running a online community and
has many profiles. Social posting is characterized with a flurry of activity then
after 1-2 weeks dwindles then stops. Well-developed value system, which they
strive to live in accordance with.

6. The Social Geek
Independent, original, analytical, and determined. They have an
exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans of action.
They value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to
derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have
very high standards for their performance, and the
performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they
trust existing leaders.
Profile photo is photoshop'ed and includes a Star Wars
character, attractive girls, or tech CEO’s (such as Steve Jobs,
Bill Gates etc.).

7. The Social Doer
Friendly, adaptable, action-oriented. "Doers" who are
focused on immediate results. Living in the here-and-
now, they're risk-takers who live fast-paced
lifestyles. Impatient with long explanations. Extremely
loyal to their peers, but not usually respectful of laws
and rules if they get in the way of getting things
done.
Great people skills. Profile photo feature drunken
escapades or extreme sports.

8. The Social Lurker
Practical, traditional, and organized. Likely to be reading
posts. Not interested in engagement or participation with social
media. However, has clear visions of the way things should
be. Loyal and hard-working. Like to be in charge.
Exceptionally capable in organizing and running activities.
"Good citizens" who value security and peaceful living.
Profile information is basic and photos are absent or use
default image.

9. The Social Inspirer
Enthusiastic, idealistic, and creative. Able to do almost
anything that interests them. Great people skills. Need to
live life in accordance with their inner values. Excited by
new ideas, but bored with details. Open-minded and
flexible, with a broad range of interests and abilities.
Often have the best personalized wall papers on their
Twitter or Weibo pages. They like to speak at industry
events. Have 5 social media accounts and are active in an
average of 3.5

10. The Social Ranter
Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally
focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Quick
to share their ideas and beliefs, sometimes in as a single stream
of information. They see everything from the human angle, and
dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at managing people
issues and leading group discussions. Interested in serving others,
and probably place the needs of others over their own needs.
Often found with major environmental interest groups linked to
their social accounts. Sometimes known as the ‘soapbox hero’.

11. The Social Visionary
Creative, resourceful, and intellectually quick. Good at a
broad range of things. Enjoy debating issues, and may be
into "one-up-manship". They get very excited about new
ideas and projects, but may neglect the more routine
aspects of life. Generally outspoken and assertive. They
enjoy people and are stimulating company. Excellent ability
to understand concepts and apply logic to find solutions.
Their numbers of fans and followers is important. Tend to
have 5 accounts and are active on 2.

12. Research Abstract
Abstract
In the increasingly user-generated Web, users’ personality traits may be crucial factors
leading them to engage in this participatory media. The literature suggests personality is
relevant to many types of interactions; it has been shown to be useful in predicting job
satisfaction, professional and romantic relationship success, and even preference for different
interfaces.
Using a sample of adults (18-50 years), this study investigated the relationship between the
perception of self, perception of external factors and their actual social profile & social media
usage. Results from this sample cohort reveal 10 distinct ‘personality’ groups. Further, the
findings show significant consistency across gender, age and cultural lines.
Our research is designed to explore the implications this has for social media design,
interface design, and broader social media marketing domains.
Keywords
Internet; Social media; Social networking sites; Personality; Big Five Personality Inventory

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SOCIAL MEDIA
PERSONALITY TYPES