Let’s face it. We do stuff to please people. But in business, it’s all about pleasing the RIGHT kind of people. And frankly, not everyone falls into that category. For every five people you happen upon on any social media platform, you’d be lucky if you’ll be able to find at least ONE who would be genuinely interested in what you have to say—-and that’s not even an assurance of a successful business transaction! You have to know the audience you aim for. You continuously search for potential customers, and cater your interactions to their interests or trends. And don’t be surprised with the many types of people you would see browsing through your Facebook page. They each have their own specific importance to your online presence. And knowing what they are, and how they help you out is as important as knowing what to post and how to post it:

1. The reactor
   1. These are the readers that like, comment and just simply interact with virtually everything you post. You can post about how your new 4-wheeled motorcycle could be the next ATV, and reactors would—after less than 5 minutes—like your post and comment on how much genius overflows from the mere idea of adding 2 extra wheels to your bike.
   2. They sometimes are very enthusiastic customers who loved your product, or they may even be non-buying Facebookers who just simply LOVE your posts.
   3. WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
      1. They may become very annoying at times, but the image it puts out to potential buyers can be very helpful on your part. Just look at it as positive testimonials. For free. Potential buyers would then see the capability of your service and quality of bringing in loyal, enthusiastic customers. Similar to how groupies help increase the popularity of a rock star. People would start wondering why this bunch of girls would start screaming and shouting once some relatively unknown fella arrives, which would soon cultivate enough intrigue for them to go buy his music.
   4. HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE THEM?
      1. Interact with them. Tell them that you’re welcome and that you would love to be of their service the next time they want to buy your product. This would also encourage the once-passive onlookers to inquire about other related products which you might have. Engaging in a related conversation with these “reactors” would show how involved you are with your customers.

1. The heckler/troller
   1. They are those netizens who just want attention. They post discouraging comments on your wall, challenge the validity of your claims, and show pictures of competitors saying that theirs is better than what you offer.
   2. They also love to engage in arguments regarding principles and issues (which may or may not be related to your business). Their main goal is to cause ruckus and controversy. And more often than not, they are simply people who would want to see how a simple statement or comment would create an online debacle.
   3. WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
      1. Controversy brings in the crowd. It may not be the kind of controversy that was aimed to show your business in a positive light, but at least it brought in the curious observers. And if you handle their challenges soundly, not only will you be able to throw a curveball at the hecklers, but you could even convince people further about how your product is the best option.
   4. HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE THEM?
      1. Engage them, but NOT at their level. Do not go ballistic. Handling hecklers would be the perfect opportunity to be the BETTER man. And you would also be able to further justify the strengths of your products through an organized, thorough response. If you personally believe in your product, then no amount of heckling can be too overwhelming for you.

1. The Passive Onlookers
   1. These are the non-responsive, non-engaging readers who really don’t do anything to your site. They just browse, read and keep their reactions to themselves. They have things to say, but would rather keep it to themselves and wait for others to ask the same thing.
   2. More often than not, a huge bulk of your potential buyers are from this category. They would rather assess on their own how your business, succeeds in the type of products you put out and the type of interaction you have with your clients.
   3. WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
      1. Because they actually BUY your stuff. They are the main reasons as to why you put up with annoying overly enthusiastic “reactors” and harassing “hecklers”. Their perception of how you answer inquiries, guarantee quality and advertise is what matters most.  And making sure you have a great online image can be make-or-break when it comes to these guys.
   4. HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE THEM?
      1. Aside from formulating good social media posts for them, make sure you also acknowledge their presence. Not that I’m asking you to name them one-by-one, but rather, try to cater you posts to them. Encourage interaction between you and them. Post questions and encourage them to answer. Listen to what they prefer and if you do land a deal with some of them, ask them what parts of your online campaign made them choose you over the rest. That way, you’d know what your strengths are, and you could spend more time cultivating them.

So the next time you check your Facebook page and your twitter account, take a good look at the people who liked your status, retweeted you, and replied to your posts. Talk to them, engage their questions. They may or may not be a willing customer, and they may not even be the type of customer you would WANT to talk to, but you know one thing is for sure: You CAUGHT their attention, and taking advantage of that can open doors of possibilities you can never have with a simple status update.