leklike

Leklike is a term used in digital media analysis to describe a specific engagement pattern in which a content item experiences concentrated bursts of "like" interactions over a short period, resembling a lek mating display. The term, which blends "like" with lek, was coined in discussions of online behavior in the late 2010s and has since been used by researchers to distinguish transient engagement spikes from sustained interest.

A leklike pattern is typically characterized by a rapid initial surge in likes followed by a slower decay, with a clear peak at an early time after publication. It may be driven by factors such as algorithmic amplification, social sharing, and topical relevance. Researchers quantify leklike using metrics like peak engagement rate, burst duration, and burstiness, sometimes employing time-series models to separate authentic interest from manipulation.

Use and limitations: In marketing and platform design, recognizing leklike helps distinguish viral moments from long-term audience growth. Critics note that the concept risks oversimplifying complex engagement dynamics and may be sensitive to platform-specific features, such as notification timing and feed ranking. Best practices emphasize corroborating leklike with other indicators like comments, saves, and shares.

See also: Like button, engagement, virality, online attention.