دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی برندسازی سلف در رسانه ی اجتماعی: تحلیلی از سبک وبلاگ نویسان در اینستاگرام - الزویر 2017

Abstract

The concept of self-branding is prevalent in society today due to the emergence and growth of various social media platforms. In particular, this new digital media environment has empowered especially women to market themselves as brands. Despite increasing scholarly and practical attention being paid to the influence of social media on individuals’ self-branding practices, little empirical research has systematically examined how people use social media as a tool to establish their branded-selves. Using a content analysis method, we analyzed 243 posts from the top 10 style bloggers’ Instagram accounts according to a systematic coding scheme. The results of our analysis indicate that although most leading style bloggers still adhere to traditional beauty and hierarchic criteria, social media provides great opportunities for women to establish their branded-selves and allows them to market themselves in line with the increase of awareness of women’s rights. Results also show that a huge number of the style bloggers’ followers are influenced by the way the bloggers use technological functions along with their modes to present themselves, through which they become emotionally attached to the bloggers. Based on these findings, we discuss academic and practical implications for self-branding via using social media.

5. Discussion

All of the style bloggers included in this study were white or Asian young women with disciplined bodies. There were no black or overweight girls on the list. This confirms that the beauty criteria of the postfeminism movement are consistent with the traditional ones. However, we did notice a rise in women’ rights awareness through the posts, of these style bloggers. As shown in the results of the analysis, 68% of the images featured normal posts and the stances of these style bloggers were not sexual. In addition, most of these style bloggers preferred wearing unrevealing clothes, and they did not emphasis the breast area in the photos. All these factors suggest that they do not really rely on the consumption of sexual bodily displays, which is consistent with the main notion of the postfeminism. According to Goffman, 41 by altering the viewer's gaze or turning the body, women can appear to be independent or helpless and unaware of their surroundings. Nevertheless, we found that the number of photos picturing the style bloggers gazing at the photographer and averting gazes were almost the same. Accordingly, Goffman's hypothesis that women are depicted as less powerful than men does not work in this context. Furthermore, Goffman indicates that feminine touch suggests that women are delicate, fragile, and sexually available and accessible [41]. However, the results of this study are not in line with Goffman's finding. Furthermore, the 33 pictures where the bloggers are braless also emphasizes the awareness of fighting for women's rights. Therefore, we can draw a conclusion that style bloggers prefer to present themselves as independent women.