When Michael Joseph said Kenyans had peculiar calling habits somehow I never took him seriously. Sunny Bindra also wrote "The Peculiar Kenyan" a book I haven't read to date for no apparent reason. However as social media specialist I have noticed certain weird habits demonstrated by Kenyans on the social networks.
We Kenyans are unique in our own way-our social media habits can also show this. Over the last two years I have been keenly watching the social media habits as exhibited by Kenyans on the social networks. As we become more social as Kenyans its also good to understand that not everyone understands how to manage their presence on social media well! I have written a few articles on social media in the past so please check the links at the bottom of this article.
In this article I will share with you the 7 different characters or types of Kenyans on social media. The names used to describe some of these people may be offensive however please read on till the end
1.The Spies
This is the Miss babe Mary or Tom the Hunk on Facebook. They are very active on social media but they don't post anything, never comment on your updates or reply to your tweets. They dig up your profile, check your timeline, view your photos and all that. Some may have two Facebook accounts for this purpose, these spies could be people you've blocked in the past, your ex's and such. These guys could also be your competitors in business who befriend you unknowingly just to know what moves you'll be making in the near future. Kindly don't put anything on the Internet that you
don't want your future boss, current client or potential clients ,wife, parent
,Ex & current girlfriend or strangers to read Better still you may adjust your security and privacy settings on your accounts+ with the timeline you can also choose the people you want to see updates and such .(Keep the spies guessing & clueless)
2. The Stalkers.
These people are so annoying, they are your friends on Facebook but you don't know them personally however they regularly engage you on social media. They could be gay, lesbian or con-men, their motives are ulterior and make you feel insecure on social media. They leave messages on your inbox asking for a date, lunch or offer to treat you over the weekend. Some of these guys could be gay, lesbian or drug addicts! These same people use the social networks as dating sites; they chat with almost every girl who is on their list with just one major motive; to sleep with them and move on! The sad thing about these people is, they do not use social media to build and nurture relationships with their friends but break them, ruin their personal brands and such. You can block such guys or un-friend them, better still ensure what you post is of no interest to them eg photos. For example when you announce your breakup a few men may take it as an invitation for new bids-(seeking new suitors; you know!)
3. The Ticks.
These people spend so much time on social media reading articles you share, your updates or tweets, looking for opportunities and give aways on social media. They disobey the Bible because they don't give back! They don't share good articles they read or pass on opportunities they come across. It's all about them! However these people are not on Twitter mostly because Twitter users are the most generous even when it comes to giving donations compared to other
social sites. The ticks also do not strive to build mutually beneficial relationships with their friends or followers. Its all about them, such guys always seek your help in one way or the other for example, you organize an event, rather than buy tickets , they want to get complementary tickets, they'll ask you for jobs, seek your help when doing something (not bad to seek assistance) or ask you to LIKE or COMMENT on their photos on page X to help them win! If you feel like this is YOU do not hate the me for this; kindly ensure you engage wisely on social media! Give value to your friends! Give back!
4. The Noisemakers.
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This is the activist on on social media. He whines about everything, complains always and calls for support. The worst thing about it no one listens since he/she isn't influential. Once in a while they get likes on such posts or brief comments like "TRUE" blah blah. These same people are famous for giving their vague opinions on anything and will vibe about what's happening endlessly. The noisemakers also use their accounts as billboards>You'll see them spamming guys while pushing their events, products or services. If you also scroll down their timeline you'll notice that they do a lot of self promotion and push marketing! They are also copy cats and tend to talk about what the pros are saying.These guys are so annoying since they tend to share popular content too, stuff that we've all read, content that's outdated, they join conversations hours after its no longer >>>Breaking news<<<. My two cents worth of advice to them is; you shouldn't participate in every discussion that's trending, you aren't entitled to an opinion in all matters, Stick to your game and perfect your art and finally kindly post engaging content! If you are in music major in that, leave politics to those who understand it.
5. The Fakes
These are the wannabes on social media. They don't understand that great personal brands are supposed to be authentic, they want you to think they are so cool and thus project an image that's non existent. A few friends on their list believe they are what they claim to be but their real pals know the truth.These are the same guys who live in Kawangware but they tweet about traffic when they get to James Gichuru rd. They do this simply to make you think they live somewhere in Lavington, when they eat at KFC or just pass by cool joints they tweet about it! One thing about them is they aren't worth the hype. However one thing I love about these guys is their aspirational nature, they are very hardworking, they simply understand what they want in life and where they should be in a few years! However ensure the person I meet gives me a similar impression to the person I met on social media. This also applies to ladies who use really cute, photo-shop profile pictures! Its rather sad when people meet you in person and the first thing they ask is "wewe ndo XYZ on Facebook? Why? because your looks online differ too much to the person people meet daily!
6.The Betrayers
These guys resemble Judas the Iscariot- a character in the Bible who betrayed our good lord! What do they do? They'll post sensitive stuff on your wall rather inbox you. These same guys cannot keep secrets and once in while you'll find them sharing juicy stories on their profiles! If they join you on a Friday for a party or a random night out watch out for what they'll post on social media. Should you decide to pass by a strip joint or misbehave in bars just know that will appear on their tweets. Its good to share all that's in mind but kindly don't post private issues Facebook. Ooh, these guys also tag you on photos at 'that party' when you were so high, half naked, smoking weed and such!! Shock on you when you find them on your timeline on a Monday morning then you realize why everyone in the office smiled when you got to the office a few minutes past 9 with blood shot eyes! Should you break up with your better half do not air it on social media; telling the world how the man or woman in your life has tore your heart! We all have that bit of our lives that we don't want everyone to know about, so kindly don't let these guys know about it because they'll spill the beans on social media! Do you have these kind on your friend list? Beware of them, they could be a PR nightmare to you very soon! They can damage your personal brand instantly!
7.The Social-Pros
I will not talk much about this group. They do things right and understand social media. These people understand all that is in the links below!
Before I sign out I would also like to apologize to any of you who might have felt like this article was directly targeted at them.My main agenda was to pass the message, the definitions I used could also have angered you in one way or the other however my intentions of writing this article were clear and not malicious!
So next time you log into your social media accounts kindly ensure you do the right thing, spend your time online doing things that give you value! Kindly follow me on Twitter @KenyanMarketer and analyze my social media presence too.
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