Welcome to the third edition of the Lens Forest Diaries! This time, we're diving deep into user behavior, segmented by their follower count. Our adventurers in the Lens Forest are categorized as:
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Newcomers (<20 followers): These are the fresh faces in the forest.
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Explorers (20-200 followers): Represented by a Backpack, indicating readiness for adventure and the gathering of knowledge.
- Pathfinders (200-400 followers): Represented by a Map and Quill , denoting their role in charting new territories and documenting their findings.
- Navigators (400-1000 followers): Represented by a Golden Compass , highlighting their advanced skills in guiding others and discovering new areas.
- Forefronts (>1000 followers): Represented by a Mastercraft Axe , emphasizing their leadership in clearing obstacles and pioneering new paths.
Do you want to know the path Forefronts have carved to reach this milestone? Well, let's investigate!
Navigating the Trails: A Deep Dive into the Charts
Embarking on a journey through the dense foliage of the Lens Forest, I've meticulously gathered and analyzed data spanning a six-month period, from late March to early September 2023. This exploration focuses on the vibrant activity of profiles that, as of September 4th, boast more than 20 followers.
As we delve deeper into the charts, we'll uncover the habits and patterns that define each segment, shedding light on the pathways they've treaded in the vast expanse of the Lens Forest.
Average Daily Mirrors by Segment
Mirrors are Lens's equivalent to reposting or re-amplifying content. Our Forefronts, with their strategic moves, amplified content twice as much as Explorers and Pathfinders during April to May.
Mirroring, at its core, is a multifunctional tool. It can serve as a nod of agreement, saying, "I stand by this statement and credit its creator." For burgeoning content creators, a mirror can be a beacon of support, amplifying their voice in a vast digital forest.
Yet, mirroring transcends mere content echoing; it's a tactical move. Consider the power of re-amplifying your evergreen content. Platforms that rely on timelines can be unforgiving to such content.
Original post: https://lenster.xyz/posts/0x0f85-0x1b1b
You might invest hours crafting a meticulous tutorial, but if it's not pinned, it risks being overshadowed as time progresses. Periodically revisiting and mirroring your standout content can breathe new life into it, ensuring it continues to resonate and reach new audiences.
Average Daily Comments by Segment
Comments are a direct measure of community engagement and interaction. Good quality followers are built with both way actions, when you create content and engage back with people that engage with you. Here, we easily see that’s a category where our Forefronts master: when building their followers, they had 3 times more commenting activity than Navigators!
Engaging with others, diving into discussions, and supporting fellow adventurers is as crucial as shining the spotlight on your own content. It's not just about voicing your thoughts but listening and responding to others.
Average Daily Collects by Segment
Collects indicate the value and appreciation of content by the community. In my opinion, it’s the top reaction regarding support and content appreciation. And here again the Forefronts lead the numbers, but not as much as we would imagine.
Keeping in mind that some collects are paid, one might think that those that invest more in collects have better feedback. But as we saw in the section above, real interaction is probably worth more than just distributing Matic around.
Another interpretation is that, while other interactions are prevalent in traditional social media, "collects" distinguish Lens from the rest. The community is still in the early stages of exploring its full potential.
While the predominant use is the paid collect, serving as a product purchase or a means to fund new initiatives, additional functionalities like token gating and bookmarking are emerging.
I'm excited to witness the community broaden the applications of Lens collects!
Average Daily Reactions by Segment
Reactions provide a quick gauge of content resonance and sentiment within the community. On Lens Protocol, reactions are likes and dislikes (we can basically disconsider dislikes because most apps don’t even expose this feature).
The amount of reactions from Forefronts, since before they became Forefronts, it’s impressive. Even recently, they have reacted basically 2 times more than Navigators, the adventurer category right below.
Consistent, genuine reactions can elevate a profile's stature within the community. It's about showcasing your profile through genuine interactions and not just inorganic clicks.
Average Daily Posts Published
Posting frequency can indicate user activity levels and their content contribution to the platform. The exclusive content you publish showcases who you are and what you do.
So here we see that, while again Forefronts and Navigators are top content creators in volume, the difference is not that much. Good quality content is what matters.
Quality trumps quantity. A compelling post can echo for weeks, outshining multiple average ones. It's about crafting a narrative that resonates with the audience.
Additionally, keep in mind that mirroring can rejuvenate valuable content that might have been overshadowed in the timeline.
Percentage of Main Content Focus by Segment
When considering the content preferences of our Lens Adventurers, the importance of visuals becomes clear. As many marketers can attest, visuals enhance virtually almost every type of content. Whether you're sharing a poem, a song, or a crypto price analysis, it's worth considering if images could further illuminate your message.
Visuals are more than mere decorations; they play a pivotal role in enhancing comprehension. However, it's crucial to strike a balance. Always use discernment to ensure that any added visual element complements rather than detracts from your core message.
One notable observation from the chart is the relatively fewer video producers on Lens compared to other social platforms. Delving deeper into the reasons behind this trend could offer intriguing insights.
Original Post: lenster.xyz/posts/0x01b356-0x0664
On a related note, content from Phaver often appears as “NULL” in the BigQuery database. While the specific pattern behind this remains elusive, it's evident that many of our Forefronts frequently utilize the Phaver app.
Daily Snapshot of Profiles in Each Segment
The journey through the Lens Forest is dynamic, with profiles evolving and progressing through different segments. Let's take a snapshot of how the distribution of profiles across segments has changed over the analysis period:
From the data, we can observe a decrease in the Newcomer segment, dropping from 57.28% to 49.58%. This indicates that a significant portion of users have progressed to higher segments. However, it's worth noting that while many have advanced, 49.58% of users remain in the Newcomer category by the end of our analysis period. This suggests that while many are progressing, there's still a substantial group that remains in the initial stages of their Lens Forest journey.
Do you want me to analyze retention data next? Specifically, looking into the number of profiles that became inactive in each segment and when? It would be interesting to delve deeper into why some adventurers might decide to halt their journey in the Lens Forest. If you have any insights or theories on why people might choose to be less active on Lens, I'd love to hear them!
Average Posts & Interactions Before Reaching 1000 Followers
Finally, if you are in the path of becoming a Lens Forefront, here is a summarized of the path Forefronts before us have craved before reaching their 1000 milestone:
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Average number of posts before reaching 1000 followers: 312.29942418426106
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Average number of interactions before reaching 1000 followers: 1612.942631058358
Interactions here are a sum of mirrors, reactions, collects and comments. So keep strong, fellow adventurers!
Comparative Analysis with Traditional Social Media
One of the big questions that surround a lot of people just observing Lens is: is investing time in Lens worth it? Well, while it’s indeed still a small and tailored community, I went to check some comparable data with legacy social media.
When analyzing the entire platform, Lens boasts an impressive engagement rate per post (by follower) of around 2%. This is a common metric when comparing effectiveness of actions among different social media, and it means that, for each post you publish, you should receive an average engagement relative to 2% of your followers. So if you have 2000 followers, you should get around 40 engagement per post.
When compared to traditional social media platforms, this number is significant. For context, last year's engagement rates per post by follower for major platforms were:
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Facebook: 0.06%
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Instagram: 0.47%
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Twitter: 0.035%
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TikTok: 5.69%
Willing to understand further this engagement rate on Lens, I plotted the individual metric based on the amount of followers. Analyzing the cart below, we can see that Lens have a growth engagement limit, probably related to the amount of users. Remember that less than 1% of profiles are Forefronts, so it’s hard to expect huge engagement growth for Super Forefronts like >5000 followers.
But Lens is proven to be, right now, really good for smaller creators! Small profiles are experiencing engagement rates a few times bigger than the total amount of followers they have! So the next step is just a matter of converting engagement into followers. But the content delivery is being fairly made by most apps algorithms.
Original Post: lenster.xyz/posts/0x01c807-0x1a
However, it's essential to remember that Lens's controlled access and smaller size foster a stronger sense of community, which could be a factor in its higher engagement. Observing TikTok's numbers, there's a potential opportunity for high-quality short videos on Lens, especially as mobile content continues to dominate the digital space. Although I would personally expect Lens not to follow the “infinite timeline” trend that has been a real danger to so many younger people, but that’s a subject for another content.
Key Insights
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Forefronts Lead in Engagement: Profiles with >1000 followers have consistently engaged with the community, a trend they maintain even after reaching this milestone.
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The Untapped Potential of Collects: The unique feature of collectable content at the heart of a social graph presents opportunities that extend beyond standard NFT collections or mere post bookmarks.
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Image Dominance: Image-focused content is the preferred choice, especially among Forefronts, with 56% of their posts centered or enriched with images.
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Video opportunity: While all segments posted 8% of video-focused content, I see an opportunity to be explored here.
🌲Conclusion: The Path to Becoming a Forefront in the Lens Forest
The journey through the Lens Forest Diaries has illuminated the behaviors and strategies of those who've ascended to the status of Forefronts, achieving over 1000 followers. Their consistent engagement, frequent content creation, and active community participation stand out as defining characteristics.
However, the forest is vast, and there's always more to uncover. While follower count offers one perspective, it's essential to recognize the diverse tapestry of creators within the Lens ecosystem. From artists to market analysts, and musicians to digital art enthusiasts, each brings a distinct flavor to the platform. The data is rich, and I'm eager to delve into more nuanced insights in the future.
If you've found value in this exploration and are keen to journey further with me, consider supporting my endeavors by collecting this mirror entry or my Lens post. I'm in the process of developing a platform for deeper insights, and early access will be granted to Lens Forest Diaries collectors. Stay tuned for more!
Also a big thank you to the previous supporters of this project: @dduarte 💜, @stani, @chaoticmonk, @punkess, @pedrovilela, @ryanfox, @carstenpoetter, @dmcsvn, @nader, @metaverse3, @jamesfinnerty, @mazemari, @cybershakti, @andonney, @81444, @lanadingwall, @cmn__, @0x327, @66868, @cryptolad
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A heartfelt thank you for accompanying me on this expedition. For more insights and adventures, explore other editions of the Lens Forest Diaries:
For quick insights into Lens data:
Beyond the forest, I delve into core Ethereum news, game design, and AI. If these topics resonate with you, subscribe below for updates on my latest musings!
🌱 Lens: @definn
🐦 Twitter: @definnTheFarmer