Rhea Sawant

ENC 1102 - English Composition II

January 30th, 2023

★ Research Question: How do musicians represent themselves on Instagram in

anticipation of hosting a major concert event, and what rhetorical features do they
employ to enhance and manage their public image on the platform?

Annotated Bibliography

Alfian, Novita, and Sengguruh Nilowardono. “The Influence of Social Media Marketing

Instagram, Word of Mouth and Brand Awareness of Purchase Decisions on Arthenis Tour

and Travel.” IJEBD (International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business

Development). vol. 2, no. 2, 2019, pp. 218–226. DOAJ Directory of Open Access

Journals, https://doi.org/10.29138/ijebd.v2i2.770

The purpose of the study is to examine how Arthenis Tour & Travel's customers'

purchasing decisions are influenced by word-of-mouth, brand awareness, and social media

marketing—particularly on Instagram. The extent to which these factors influence customer

choices is the focus of the study question. A Likert scale questionnaire is used to gather primary

data from 105 Arthenis Tour & Travel customers, with “83 participants serving as a sample”

(218). Multiple linear regression tests are used in the study to assess the data. According to the

research, brand awareness, word-of-mouth marketing, and social media marketing on Instagram

all have a big impact on consumer decisions. The idea of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM),

which entails recommendations shared via social networking, is included in theoretical

frameworks. The ability of potential customers to identify or recall a brand within a certain

product category is known as brand awareness. Word-of-mouth marketing is defined as a

strategy that uses several platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and blogs, while social
media marketing is defined as a method that influences consumer confidence. The significance

of Instagram as a photo-sharing website for marketing is covered in key words and concepts,

which highlight the platform's capacity to communicate brand messaging visually. More

information on brand awareness may be found on a spectrum that spans from basic acquaintance

to dominating a product category's top brand (224). According to the survey, in order to improve

communication and increase sales, travel agencies, such as Arthenis Tour and Travel, should

make use of Instagram, Word of Mouth, and Brand Awareness.

Delbaere, Marjorie, and Micheal Brittany. “Social Media Influencers: A Route to Brand

Engagement for Their Followers.” Psychology & Marketing. vol. 38, no. 1, pp.

101-112. Communication and Mass Media Complete,

https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21419

This article explores how Social Media Influencers (SMIs), particularly in the YouTube

beauty community, may help their followers engage with brands. “Do SMIs act as a route to

brand engagement for their followers?” is the research question posed from this article. In

order to improve brand engagement, the study focuses on Digital Content Marketing (DCM)

and how it is implemented through SMIs. DCM is the process of producing and sharing

pertinent material about a company on digital channels in order to build relationships, trust,

and positive brand engagement. The Parasocial Interaction theory and the Hierarchy of

Effects model are examples of theoretical frameworks. Three aspects of brand engagement are

examined using the Hierarchy of Effects model: cognitive processing, affection, and

activation. The deep bonds that exist between SMIs and their audience are explained by the

Parasocial Interaction theory, which places a strong emphasis on attributes like charisma,

credibility, and beauty. SMIs (third-party users with micro-celebrity status on social media),
DCM, and brand engagement are some of the key words and terminologies. The study uses

automated text analysis (ATA) to investigate how SMIs affect the attitudes, feelings, and

actions of their followers toward brands. Carli Bybel, Jaclyn Hill, KathleenLights, and Desi

Perkins are the selected influencers for the analysis, which will concentrate on five categories

of beauty-related videos: hauls, reviews, tutorials, current favorites, and first impressions. The

techniques entail employing ATA to gather textual feedback from viewers on the YouTube

videos of the chosen influencers. Quantification is used to measure three aspects of brand

engagement: cognitive processing (frequency of brand mentions), affection (percentages of

positive and negative emotions), and activation (frequency of terms associated with purchases

and unique versus repeat comments). The article ends with an exploratory research proposal

based on the Hierarchy of Effects model, which proposes that SMIs are related to the three

aspects of self-brand connection and have an impact on each level of the model. The purpose

of the analysis is to comprehend how SMIs affect brand engagement in the YouTube beauty

community.

Guo, Yaping, and Wei Ren. “Managing Image: The Self-Praise of Celebrities on Social

Media.” Discourse, Context & Media. vol. 38, 2020, pp. 2-9. Science Direct,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100433

The article looks into the self-praise techniques used by Chinese celebrities on Weibo

(their main version of social media, with a particular emphasis on three types of self-praise:

implicit, modified, and explicit. The study shows that while explicit self-praise without

modification is “rare (9.18%), modified explicit self-praise is used by celebrities most

frequently (49.37%) and implicitly (41.45%)”. It is customary to modify explicit self-praise,

especially by shifting the emphasis of the praise, as this is consistent with traditional Chinese
 etiquette. There is also comparison and reporting of compliments from third parties as

self-praise. Asking questions, framing as self-denigration, or sharing multimedia content are

common examples of implicit self-praise. Self-politeness and relevance theory are two

theoretical frameworks that are used to explain why people choose to use self-praising tactics.

On Weibo, celebrities use self-praise as a planned strategy to engage with fans, create good

personas, and build their social and financial capital. The study hypothesizes that the rise in

self-praise is a result of globalization and Chinese culture's acceptance of praise. The study is

restricted to Weibo and Chinese celebrities, despite the fact that the findings offer insights into

the self-presentation and impression control of celebrities. It is advised against generalizing

the findings to other circumstances. Future studies should examine self-praise in various

languages and cultures as well as take gender impacts into account. It is also agreed that there

may be more research to be done on the accuracy of celebrities' internet postings.

Jaakkola, Maarit. “Digital Performance at the Side Stage: The Communicative Practices of

Classical Musicians and Music Hobbyists on Instagram.” Continuum. vol. 37, no. 2,

2023, pp. 296-308. Taylor & Francis Social Science and Humanities Library,

https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2023.2234109

With an emphasis on classical pianists, violinists, and cellists, the piece explores how

musicians and music enthusiasts communicate on Instagram. The study investigates Instagram's

function in post-professional platformed cultural production, where people share their musical

lives through unpaid, visible, relational, and aspirational labor. The study uses a thematic

analysis of 269 public Instagram accounts to look at the roles played by artists on the platform,

their account strategies, and the formats that are unique to it. The research questions center on

three topics: the conditions of digital labor in music accounts; the use of Instagram by
communicators; and the function, strategy, and format-based description of digital labor. The

term "post-professionalism," which refers to several professionalisms that coexist in online

settings, is introduced in this article. Instagram is a visual mobile app that is owned by Meta

Platforms that gives musicians a new way to communicate with audiences around the world. It

allows them to post music in microformats. With an emphasis on pianists, violinists, and

cellists, the research divides musicians into three categories: institutional professionals,

vernacular professionals, and amateurs. Numerous communication techniques and styles are

identified by the study, including "unboxing," "my day," "haul," and "play-through."

Professionals typically create and launch these forms, while people with less followers tend to

imitate them. The conditions of digital work, communication techniques, and an overview of

musicians' digital labor on Instagram are all covered by the research questions. The study uses a

qualitative analytic approach, analyzing user roles, methods, and formats via the lens of

thematic analysis. 269 stories from cellists, violinists, and pianists make up the sample, which

focuses on professionals and their communication styles. In closing, the piece emphasizes how

digital labor on Instagram can be revolutionary and collaborative, as users construct common

patterns and platform vernaculars. All things considered, the study illuminates how musicians

communicate in the post-professional and digital world.

Leenders, Mark A.A.M. et al. “How Are Young Music Artists Configuring Their Media and

Sales Platforms in the Digital Age?” Journal of Marketing Management. vol. 31, no.

17-18, 2015, pp. 1799-1817. Taylor & Francis Social Science and Humanities Library,

https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2015.1034158

The article examines how new technologies are affecting the music industry, with a

specific emphasis on how young artists in particular must navigate the shifting market access and
revenue generation scenario. The primary thesis of the argument is that technology developments

are causing major changes in the music industry that have an impact on sales, consumption,

content creation, and distribution. The purpose of the study topic is to determine how emerging

musicians adapt their strategies for gaining entrance to the market and making money in light of

these developments. Moving along, a comprehensive survey of 338 young musicians throughout

the Netherlands was carried out for the study. The study investigates how old and new media, as

well as media and sales platforms, contribute to young artists' ability to make money. Variables

like record sales, live performance frequency, media exposure, and the artists' professional

networks are all part of the data collection process. According to the survey, there are various

groups of emerging musicians with various arrangements for market entry. A wide variety of

classic and modern media and sales outlets are effectively used by Rising Stars. Independents in

the digital age use social media to promote live events and CD sales. “Record labels will

continue to play a role in the music industry but different types of young music artists will

benefit differently from a record label's resources and capabilities making them less important

for specific artist configurations.”

Lozano-Blasco, Raquel, Marta Mira-Aladrén, and Mercedes Gil-Lamata. “Social Media

Influence on Young People and Children: Analysis on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.”

Comunicar. vol. 31, no. 74, 2023, pp.117-128. Social Science Premium

Collection,https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/social-media-influence-on-youn

g-people-children/docview/2760068517/se-2?accountid=10003

The behavior and effects of teenagers interacting with influencers on social media

platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube are examined in this article. A mixed-method

approach is used in the research, including sentiment analysis, semantic analysis, and social
media analysis. The study monitors 300 articles with the largest number of likes, focusing on the

top 10 influencers in each area. The results show that the social networking sites are very

different from one another. Twitter provides an opportunity for critical examination of news and

social movements, especially those pertaining to climate change. Instagram serves as a platform

to promote an idealized lifestyle by exhibiting beauty and fashion. The main purposes of

YouTube are humor and amusement. Influencers' attempts to engage audiences and create

parasocial connections are universal despite these variations. According to the report, young

people who use social media to tell stories and share their lives are known as adolescent

influencers. They frequently include the identities of sponsors in their posts. These influencers

are extremely important for marketing, consumerism promotion, and normalizing specific

adolescent behaviors. “It emphasizes the development of parasocial relationships in which

followers identify with influencers to the point that face-to-face interactions are no longer

necessary” (120). From the perspective of content analysis, Instagram is recognized as a platform

for social comparison using an idealized representation of beauty, which has resulted in the rise

of influencers endorsing sponsored material. It is said that YouTube is a platform where

influencers, or "Youtubers," interact with fans through challenges, discussions, and personal

stories. With an emphasis on communication and information, Twitter provides a forum for

discussions on political, social, and environmental issues. In order to track shifting adolescent

views and actions over time, the article concludes with recommendations for future study

approaches. It emphasizes the importance of ongoing research and inquiries into new platforms

such as “Twitch and TikTok (128)”.

Martinez, E. Jessica. The Use of Social Media for Marketing by Independent Musicians.

California State University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) of Music & Performing Arts and
 Music and Recording Technology, 2021. Digital Commons,

https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/1048/

With a focus on social media, the article examines how the field of music marketing for

independent musicians is changing. The primary thesis of the argument is that independent

musicians must effectively use social media platforms to promote themselves in the cutthroat

music industry of today. The study question explores the evolution of music marketing from

interpersonal levels to the influence of MTV, radio, and music videos, providing a thorough

historical context of the field. The essay describes a case study of a musician overcoming

obstacles, particularly during the COVID-19 epidemic, and highlights the difficulties

experienced by up-and-coming independent musicians, in particular the lack of connections and

recognition. The historical development of music marketing techniques—from print to radio,

music videos, and the rise of social media in the late 20th and early 21st centuries—is one of the

theoretical frameworks. The definitions and relevance of key phrases include the following: the

role of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Patreon,

and Fiverr; and methods such as duets, advertisements, and community interaction. In order to

determine audience involvement, the essay emphasizes the significance of developing a social

media strategy and using insights and analytics. Among the noteworthy quotations are those

from singer Evan Voids, who talks about his experience creating a social media presence and

adjusting to the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. The article's conclusion highlights social

media's worldwide reach and prospects, which empower independent musicians to take charge of

their careers and discover new paths to success.

Replogle, Elaine. “Fame, Social Media Use, and Ethics.” Sociological Forum. vol. 29, no. 3,

2014, pp. 736–742. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/43653959

 The essay examines the divergent responses from the general public to celebrities and

ordinary people who disclose their personal challenges on social media, especially when

dealing with life-threatening illnesses like cancer. The author raises the topic of whether

celebrity affects how people view the bounds of propriety when it comes to disclosing private

information on blogs and Twitter. Although it's common knowledge that celebrities utilize

social media to reveal personal information, the article explores a controversy over journalist

Emma Keller's criticism of non-famous person Lisa Bonchek-Adams for her open description

of terminal breast cancer on social media. The analogy to TV anchor Robin Roberts, who

publicly details her battle with cancer on Twitter and receives appreciation for her resilience,

emphasizes the disparities in treatment between well-known and lesser-known people.

Questions concerning the blurring lines between public and private spheres, expectations of

privacy for non-famous people, and the moral implications of sharing personal narratives on

social media are raised by the uproar surrounding the Kellers' criticism of Bonchek-Adams. The

article highlights the advantages of using social media, citing studies on the benefits of social

support it offers to users regardless of celebrity. It makes the case that calling out

people—famous or not—for disclosing basic details about themselves on social media could be

the only moral part of the practice. In the end, the piece makes the argument that different

people may interpret the same actions on social media differently depending on who they think

their audience is. Celebrities, for example, may want the support of their fans, while less

well-known people may want to find solace from other victims or supporters.