Identifying and shifting social media network patterns with NodeXL

As people use social media they form networks that have several basic forms: divided, unified, fragmented, clustered, and hub and spoke patterns with in and outward facing links. These patterns are associated with different types of topics and discussions: polarized, in-group, brand, community, broadcast, and support. Since each pattern has specific properties in terms of its ability to spread information and form relationships, participants in these networks often find that the pattern they have is not the pattern they want. For example, people may seek to move from a fragmented brand pattern to a denser, more connected clustered community pattern. Network metrics can describe each of these patterns and provide a possible guide to effective methods to shift from one pattern to another. Tracking these metrics can provide practitioners with a method of assessing their efforts to cultivate the most desirable forms of network structures.