Author: Andrew Penrose

Which one are you ?

Connecters, who bridge groups of people, have contacts in different social groups and enjoy introducing people to each other

Salesmen, who have extensive social connections and are defined by their tendency to persuade people to do things, buy certain products and act in certain ways

Seekers, who connect with other people to find out the information, skills and obligations they need to conduct their daily lives. When seekers go shopping, they tend to seek advice from experts who tell them which are the best gadgets to buy, where to get them and at what prices

Mavens, who are knowledge exchangers or information brokers. They are experts in particular areas, and other people go to them for advice. Mavens aren’t out to persuade people, but use and acquire information for their own interests. According to Gartner, firms that reach out to mavens could come unstuck because these individuals are as happy spreading negative commentary about a product or company as a positive message

Self-sufficients, who prefer to find out for themselves what they need to know. Gartner stresses that this group can be tough to target because they are relatively impermeable to viral influences and bandwagon effects

Unclassifieds, who did not definitively fall into any of the social network categories and made up two-thirds of the survey.