6 Classifications of Social Media Engagement

When thinking about how people engage with brands and communities online, I’ve found it useful to classify engagement into six levels:

1. Consuming – reading, watching, listening. Passive. No visible action.
2. Collecting – saving, bookmarking, following. A small step beyond consuming.
3. Contributing – liking, sharing, retweeting. Low effort, but visible action.
4. Creating – commenting, posting, writing. Active participation.
5. Collaborating – working with others toward a shared goal.
6. Co-owning – taking genuine ownership of the community or cause. The rarest and most valuable level.

Most audiences are primarily consuming. Most campaigns hope for contributing. The rare ones unlock collaborating and co-owning.

Knowing which level your audience is at – and which level you’re designing for – is the difference between a realistic strategy and an overestimation of participation.