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12 Stages of Social Media

May 4, 2009
Dom Sagolla
History, Twitter-Tips

[Note: I actually wrote this 2 years ago, but here it is reprinted almost word for word.]

12 Beats per Second Getting overwhelmed with junk on Facebook? Annoyed by random spam targeting you? Tried Twitter for a while and now you think it’s about to Jump the Shark already?

Ease back on the throttle there, Fonzie. Twitter is no different than Facebook or Flickr or Blogger except in its immediacy and constant freshness, which accelerates everything. Every social Web app goes through the same cycle. You just have to master it, and not let it master you.

As I’ve experienced them over the last 3 years, here is the cycle:

12 Stages of Social Media

  1. Curiosity
  2. Interest
  3. Novelty
  4. Excitement
  5. Inviting Everyone You Know
  6. Optional: Inviting the Wrong Person (skip to 9)
  7. Massive Use / Addiction
  8. Slight Abuse / Accidental Use
  9. Annoyance / Frustration
  10. Cutting Way Back
  11. “Going Dark” / “Taking a Break” / “Going Private”
  12. Acceptance / Renewed Curiosity

When your best friend from high school announces the birth of his baby boy on Twitter, you can’t tell me that Twitter is dying. For moments like these to be shared, you just have to tune in properly.

My advice to you: skip to Step 10. Try Jaiku or Facebook for a while, if you absolutely must escape. Get a better tool to deal with the deluge, or just create another account and live there for a while. (Update: There are 12 Antidotes as well, contained in the forthcoming book 140 Characters.)

Twitter does not jump sharks. People use Twitter to jump sharks. The Death of Twitter is a Myth, people. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

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  • jcpilman
    Get real. (Or are you just promoting a new book?) Twitter is fun and useful, but it's not that important. This too will pass. How many of you can say that both the person who writes your paycheck and the person who signs it are both using Twitter? Your 12 steps don't describe my experience very well. 1. I know someone I want to follow. 2. Occasionally I add someone. 3. Occasionally I drop someone. 2.1 Occassionally someone adds me. 3.1 Occasionally someone drops me. I'm sure the experience is varied for so many people.
  • It's a cycle that keeps happening, whenever a social media service is introduced. For Twitter case, I'm more like in between 7-11, to and fro? What I think important is to reach a balance. Think the first thing I should do now, is off my Tweedeck and concentrate on leaving this comment. =P

    Great post. It's like looking into a mirror with it.

    @wchingya
    Social Media/Blogging
  • This is a very accurate assessment of the phases many people go through. I've been using social media (started on BB' and prodigy in junior high school) and I guess I have long been in acceptance. I dropped out for a while when I first went to college and became a hippie... tired of being wrapped up in the computer rather than "life" - but I'm back in a big way!
  • Simply amazing you wrote this past 2 years ago. Thanks for re-surfacing this bad boy as its timeless steps from past, present and future. Strong points indeed as I have tried to do all the steps especially taking a break once in a while :-)
  • You wouldnt think about it, if you havent read this.

    After reading it i can think of a point where yeah i have, done something with all these points. Although i do have to say, if the service or site doesnt look good i wouldnt go back.

    I feel thats a very strong point, that does effect all the points of social media.
  • Here's what is interesting to me: 12 is also optional, depending on the social media site/tool in question. I can think of so many sites that gave me no reason to go back after I got that point.

    Can Twitter get a sustainable number of us from 11 to 12? If so, it will be truly revolutionary.

    So #12 is the real test of social media genius.
  • Well done. I've hit all of the above 12 steps - and more than once for some of them.
    You learn as you go and you need to be aware that those who are annoying you or abusing Twitter may one day realize their poor habits and start to add better value. So don't unfollow them right away, give them a chance.

    Twitter allows you to engage or to ignore; it's your choice!

    Thx!
  • I've been using this EVERYWHERE! Those steps have stayed true and accurate for a long time now. I'm happy that you posted it here so more people can benefit from it.

    My first step was admitting I have a problem :)
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