News Science Quarterly (NS)

News Science Quarterly (NS)

Strategies for Using Instagram to Develop Personal Branding and Career Success

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Helen Hedeshian 1
Seyed Ahmad Reza Dastgheib 2
Keramat Allah Rasekh 3
1 Ph.D. Candidate of Communication Sciences, Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Law and Human Sciences, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran - Ph.D. Candidate of Communication Sciences, Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Law and Human Sciences, Fars Science and Research Campus, Islamic Azad University, Fars, Iran. Email: helen.hedeshian@gmail.com
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Research Science Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,(corresponding author) . Email: seyed.dastgheib@iau.ac.ir
3 Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, Jahrom branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran. Email: krasekh@gmail.com
10.22034/lrsi.2024.469023.1213
Abstract
Objective: The present research was conducted with the aim of determining the strategies of using the Instagram social network for the development of personal branding and career success.
Methods: The present research was conducted with a mixed method. In the qualitative part, an in-depth interview was conducted with 17 experts in the field of branding. Data analysis has been done by grand theory method, the quantitative part has been done by using the researcher-made questionnaire tool, 392 people from the field of personal branding in the Instagram social network have been selected and asked for opinions.
Results: The research findings are presented in the qualitative section with 120 primary codes and 28 subcategories, the strategies of using the Instagram social network in personal and professional branding in 5 subcategories (brand development, reaching a wide audience, ease of communicating and interacting with audiences, lack of The space and time limitations for developing experiences and business) were explained. The indicators of the use of Instagram in personal and professional branding were identified in the form of 6 subcategories (content marketing, the possibility of validation, the use of personalities, and the possibility of republishing content), the platforms and infrastructures of the use of Instagram in personal and professional branding in the form of 3 subcategories (necessary providing legal infrastructure, hardware and software equipment and facilities) were categorized. Obstacles and disturbing factors in the use of Instagram in personal and business branding were organized under 4 subcategories (unsuitable infrastructure, security threats, lack of payment gateways and lack of legal protection). Also, appropriate strategies for using the Instagram social network in personal and professional branding were presented in the form of 6 sub-categories (use of communication and information capacities of virtual space, brand management practices, audience-oriented, identity building and creativity) and at the end of the results The use of Instagram social network in personal and professional branding was presented and explained in the form of 4 sub-categories (establishing and introducing the brand, business development, improving relations with customers). In the quantitative part, 392 activists and owners in the field of personal and professional branding in the Instagram social network were studied using a closed questionnaire. The findings of the quantitative section showed that there is a significant relationship between the variable of Instagram social networks with personal branding and career success with path coefficients of 0.895, 0.647 and 0.250 respectively. Also, personal competencies with a path coefficient of 0.326 and 0.215, respectively, have a significant effect with the variables of personal branding and career success, and personal branding with a path coefficient of 0.525 has a significant effect on career success. Also, the mediating role of individual competencies and personal branding and career success in relation to Instagram social networks was confirmed. There is a significant relationship between Instagram variable with personal branding and career success with path coefficients of 0.895, 0.647 and 0.250 respectively. Also, the mediating role of personal competencies and personal branding and career success in relation to Instagram was confirmed.
Conclusions:  The results of this research in both qualitative and quantitative parts showed that the use of the Instagram social network plays an important and influential role for the development of personal branding and career success, especially in the field of internet businesses, considering its capabilities and functions.Keywords: strategies, Instagram, personal branding, career success.
Keywords
Strategies
Instagram
Personal Branding
Career Success
 
 
References:
Ebrahimi Tabar, Muslim, Ghaffari, Mohammad, Irani, Hamidreza. (2022), the study of factors creating the intention to use Instagram social business services. Media Scientific. (in Persian) (3) Quarterly, 33.
Eskandari, Karim; Ramezani, Mojtabi and Goli, Samaneh (2017). Investigating the effect of managers' personal brand on creating fifth-level leaders (case study: state-owned banks), Marketing Management, 13(39), 67-79. (in Persian).
Anselm Strauss, Juliet M. Corbin, (2007), Principles of Qualitative Research Methodology: Basic Theory, Procedures and Methods, Translated by Buyuk Mohammadi, Publisher: Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies. (in Persian).
Taslimi, Mohammad Saeed; Rai, Reza, Farzin Vash, Asadollah and Barkhi, Mikael (2014), design and explanation of the competency model of managers of national projects with a focus on risk. Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Public Administration, 5 (4), 57-78. (in Persian).
Razaghi, Yasmin; Roosta, Ahmed; Alam Tabriz, Akbar and Qarache, Manijeh (2012). Designing and explaining the brand model in small and medium companies in terms of personal brand and company brand. Public Management Research, 6 (22), 27-47. (in Persian).
Samii, Fatemeh and Rezvanian, Fatemeh (2015). Subjective and objective career success: The role of spirituality, personality and career aspirations, Applied Counseling, 6(1), 23-36. (in Persian).
Saimian, Siddiqa; Mohammedan, Holy; Mir Moini, Hamid and Shahrokhi, Farzaneh (2012). Investigating the effect of cultural components on the personal brand model based on individual competencies, Cultural Management, 7(4), 71-86. (in Persian).
Azizi, Mohammad; Bahadri Far, Sahar and Ikhlasi, Amir (2016). Presentation of personal branding model of business coach based on foundational data theory, Brand Management Research Quarterly, 4(3), 11-28. (in Persian).
Keller, Lynn (2009). Strategic brand management, translated by Atieh Bathai, Tehran: Site Publishing. (in Persian).
Majidi Kahrodi, Nasim; Saidi, Goddess and Culture, Ali Akbar (2019). Branding strategies from the point of view of branding and entrepreneurship experts in the Instagram social network, Scientific Research Quarterly of Mass Communication Media, 31 (3), 5-26. (in Persian).
Oshiro, K. F., Brison, N., & Bennett, G. (2021). Personal branding project in a sport marketing class. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 28, 100308.
Dumont, G., & Ots, M. (2020). Social dynamics and stakeholder relationships in personal branding. Journal of Business Research, 106, 118-128.
Park, J., Williams, A., & Son, S. (2020). Social media as a personal branding tool: a qualitative study of student-athletes’ perceptions and behaviors. J. Athl. Dev. Exp, 2, 51-68.
Mantulenko, V. V., Yashina, E. Z., & Ashmarina, S. I. (2019). Personal brand of university teachers in the digital age. In International Scientific Conference.
Coetzer, E. (2018). Personal branding and career success: an empirical investigation (Doctoral dissertation).
Brems, C., Temmerman, M., Graham, T., & Broersma, M. (2017). Personal branding on Twitter: How employed and freelance journalists stage themselves on social media. Digital journalism, 5(4), 443-459.
Kucharska, W. (2017). Consumer social network brand identification and personal branding. How do social network users choose among brand sites?. Cogent Business & Management, 4(1), 1315879.
Petruca, I. (2016). Personal branding through social media. International Journal of Communication Research, 6(4), 389.
Lee, A., Yao, J., Mizerski, R., & Lambert, C. (2015). The strategy of global branding and brand equity. Routledge.
Schawbel, D. (2012). Me 2.0: Build a powerful brand to achieve career success. Kaplan Books.
Harris, L., & Rae, A. (2011). Building a personal brand through social networking. Journal of Business Strategy, 32(5), 14-21.
Court, D., McLaughlin, K. and Halsall, C. (2006), “Marketing spending effectiveness: how to win in a complex environment”, McKinsey white paper