How Do You Interact on a Social Media group? It is not an easy task these days.

Whether it’s Facebook, Clubhouse, Twitter Threads, Zoom- it has become easier to connect with other like minded people across races, genders, time zones, and nations. The Covid-19 pandemic has grown this way of communication even more. You may not know how or what to contribute to the conversation.

Everyone’s reason for joining a social media group is different: networking, community, finding information, lead magnets, etc. However, there is a pattern of behavior in almost all of these groups. Once you learn these five profile types, the less likely you’ll be surprised, offended or afraid to engage.

These types are not indicative of ALL people in the group, in fact some could exhibit more than one trait or none of these traits. But these five are recurring ones that are the most prevalent and influential in the group’s tone, objective, and direction.

The Green One

Completely new to the entertainment industry, they will post the standard questions: “How Do I Get an Agent”, “What should my headshot look like”, or “What should go on my acting resume”?

The answers to their questions can be found in past threads on the group page, and you kindly direct them there, or you just repeat the answer again politely- reminding people that they were all in the same position at one time.

Maybe this person has experience, but is “green” in a certain niche like voiceover or commercials. Maybe it’s a parent trying to get their child into the industry. It’s usually best for newbies to have their own group altogether, where they could feel a safe space to explore any and all topics at their own pace.

The Know-It All

A graduate of an ivy-league school or MFA conservatory, plus specialized training with a high-powered acting coach or professional studio. Their resume is a mile long; with many top-of-show guest stars and major supporting film roles.

Currently working, this person is usually the most active in the group, answering as many questions as possible to provide value and combat misinformation. However, it doesn’t yield opportunities for others to provide insight or different perspectives.

Even though they seem to have all the answers, always do your own research to verify and confirm.

The Negative Neal or Nancy

This person has also had a lot of experience: guest stars, co-stars, national commercials. But somewhere along the way, traumatic events happened: cancellation of a series, a scandal, financial or family setbacks, getting real close to a booking but continuously being PASSED OVER. This in turn has made them bitter or depressed.

You can hear it in their comments, they play the devil’s advocate, advice is based on pragmatism, or rooted in fear. When a bad scenario happens, it was expected; when a good thing happens, there’s cautious optimism or perception as a fluke.

Their truths are valid- but one has to take it with a grain of salt. Location, era in time, and circumstances unrelated to you could have contributed to their experiences. Always give them grace, and never escalate the conversation unnecessarily.

The Inspirational One

This person could be green or experienced; they’re not naive about the world or the industry, but their mindset is usually on a higher level. They’ve used it to reach their success in entertainment or in past endeavors.

They’ll give a testimony on when they overcame an overwhelming obstacle to achieve a goal, sometimes they’ll post a biblical scripture or motivational quote from a fellow artist.

The inspirational one would show empathy to the green one and battle with the negative Neal/Nancy. They could even be the MODERATOR of the group.

The Silent One

This person doesn’t comment, post, or hardly contribute anything to the group. They abide by the rules, and will occasionally like or heart a comment they agree with.

In fact, they are mostly there for the comments. Gleaning information on frequently discussed topics. Maybe they’re shy or feeling out the culture of the group. The silent one could move into the aforementioned groups or continue to stay silent, perhaps leaving the group altogether because they’re not getting what they need.

Did I miss a profile type? Do you have any experiences with the types listed? Let me know in the comments below.