The rapidly growing social network Instagram was founded in 2010 and offers users he possibility to share photos with their friends and the whole Instagram community. The community can rate these photos in their popularity by using the tools Likes and Comments. These measures of popularity reflect how the Instagram community perceives the uploaded photos. Besides private persons also businesses can upload photos of their products and use Instagram as a marketing channel. Therefore, for marketers it might be interesting to find out which factors influence the popularity of photos. This is exactly the purpose of the paper at hand. The main dependent variables of the research are the number of Likes and the number of Comments of each photo. The data was gathered by using the tool Statigr.am, which contains all photos that are uploaded on Instagram. The final dataset contained 209 observations that belonged to the two product categories Frozen Yoghurt and Cigarette. After the collection period, statistical tests were executed using descriptive statistics. The main independent variables belonged to the narrative elements that are described by Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006. The research showed that the type of narrative elements used has an influence on the popularity of photos and therefore this finding agrees with the expectations that were based on the literature. Furthermore, the research showed that the content of photos has an influence on the popularity. This was analyzed by the two product categories, of which the photos that contained the product Frozen Yoghurt had higher popularity scores. Additionally, the research showed that the number of Hashtags, which the uploading person can determine, has a strong influence on the popularity. In the sample at hand, photos with more Hashtags had higher popularity measures than photos with less Hashtags. Finally, the research rejected the assumption that graphical elements of photos such as camera angle and distance, as well as the use of filters and different light conditions has an influence on the popularity. In the sample at hand no clear relationship was found. Especially, the findings regarding the narrative elements and the Hashtags allow firms to design their product photos in the most appealing.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Outline
- Methodology
- Research Design
- Data Collection Method
- Research Questions
- Narrative elements based research questions
- Graphical elements based research question
- Content based research question
- Further research question
- Data Analysis and Findings
- Narrative elements based research questions
- Graphical elements based research question
- Content based research question
- Further research question
- Limitations
- Data gathering related limitations
- Further research question
- Conclusion
- Managerial Implications
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research aims to explore the factors that influence the popularity of photos on Instagram, particularly focusing on the role of narrative elements, graphical features, content, and other contributing factors. The goal is to understand how these elements impact the number of Likes and Comments a photo receives, offering insights into the dynamics of visual communication within the Instagram platform.
- The impact of narrative elements on photo popularity
- The influence of graphical elements, including camera angle and filters, on user engagement
- The role of content, specifically different product categories, in attracting user attention
- The correlation between the use of Hashtags and photo popularity
- Identifying further research questions related to the interplay of visual elements and user behavior on Instagram
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The research begins with an overview of the rapidly growing social network Instagram and its role in photo sharing and marketing. It establishes the key research objective: to determine factors influencing photo popularity on Instagram, specifically exploring the influence of narrative elements.
The Methodology section delves into the research design, highlighting the use of a descriptive study with quantitative data analysis. The researcher explains the rationale for choosing Frozen Yoghurt and Cigarettes as specific product categories, emphasizing the uniqueness of the research and the need for primary data collection. The study relies on a cross-sectional design, analyzing a large sample of Instagram photos.
The research questions are then formulated, encompassing narrative elements, graphical features, content, and further exploration. The subsequent Data Analysis and Findings section presents the results of the study, discussing the influence of narrative elements on photo popularity, examining the impact of graphical elements, analyzing the role of content (through product categories), and exploring the relationship between Hashtags and photo popularity.
The Limitations section acknowledges the challenges encountered during the data gathering process and identifies further research questions emerging from the findings.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research focuses on narrative elements, graphical elements, content analysis, photo popularity, Instagram, Likes, Comments, Hashtags, descriptive study, quantitative data analysis, Frozen Yoghurt, Cigarettes, cross-sectional design, social network, marketing, user engagement, visual communication.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Kremerov (Author), 2014, Narrative Elements in Social Networks. Which Aspects Determine the Popularity of Photos on Instagram?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/298299
