Is visual content modality a limiting factor for social capital? Examining user engagement within Instagram-based brand communities

The study explores the role of content modality, specifically the visual modality of Instagram, in the development of social capital within online brand communities (OBCs). Existing research largely focuses on text-based platforms, neglecting the impact of visual platforms like Instagram on consumer-to-consumer interaction and value co-creation. The increasing popularity of Instagram for marketing and the visual nature of its content raise questions about whether this visual emphasis limits the information exchange and social capital development compared to text-centric platforms. The study aims to address this gap by examining the relationship between visual content, social interaction, social capital, and loyalty within Instagram-based OBCs, particularly consumer-initiated communities which have received less research attention than firm-initiated ones. Consumer-initiated communities offer unbiased experiences and are better at handling negative feedback, making them particularly valuable for research. Furthermore, the study aims to explore personal motivations behind OBC interaction, focusing on intrinsic motivations such as information seeking, socializing, and recreation, to understand their impact on engagement and community participation.

The literature review examines existing research on social capital in OBCs, highlighting the inconsistencies in defining and measuring social capital (as a personal or collective asset, using bonding/bridging dimensions, or a multidimensional framework). It points out a lack of studies focusing specifically on visual platforms like Instagram and a need for a universally accepted operational definition of social capital within the OBC context. The review also discusses the importance of understanding user motivations in social media usage and their influence on engagement levels and community participation. Existing research is reviewed to identify the key elements of social capital (relational, cognitive, and structural dimensions) and their impact on loyalty intentions towards both the community and the brand. The study emphasizes the need to examine consumer-initiated communities, which differ from firm-initiated communities in terms of experience intensity and control over information exchange. Previous research is reviewed showing that consumer-initiated communities generate higher-quality information and experiences due to their voluntary nature and unbiased perspectives. The review concludes by highlighting a gap in research concerning the personal motivations driving engagement in consumer-initiated OBCs.

The study uses a quantitative approach, focusing on automotive communities on Instagram in Indonesia. A pre-test was conducted to refine the survey instrument before the main data collection. The researchers collaborated with community administrators to distribute the online survey to members. 540 valid responses were collected using invitation posts and the snowball method. The sample predominantly consisted of male respondents (95%) aged 30-40 (46%), with undergraduate education (54%) and membership duration exceeding 2 years (42%). The survey used a 5-point Likert scale to measure various constructs: information seeking, socializing, recreation (user motivations), shared language, shared vision, social trust, reciprocity (social capital dimensions), sense of belonging, participative behavior, network ties (social capital consequences), brand loyalty intentions, and community loyalty intentions. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships between the constructs. The researchers addressed issues of multicollinearity by combining 'information seeking' and 'socialising' into an 'informational' variable, and by removing 'participative behavior' from the consequences of social capital due to its correlation with other variables. Harman's single factor test was conducted to mitigate common method bias.

The revised measurement model showed a good fit and acceptable reliability and validity. The structural model also showed a reasonable fit. Key findings include: Informational (β = 0.72, p < 0.001) and recreational motivations (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) positively impacted social capital. Social capital positively influenced sense of belonging (β = 0.86, p < 0.001) and network ties (β = 0.82, p < 0.001). Sense of belonging positively affected brand loyalty (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and community loyalty (β = 0.26, p < 0.001). Network ties significantly impacted both brand loyalty (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) and community loyalty (β = 0.61, p < 0.001). The squared multiple correlations indicated that the model explained 42% of the variance in brand loyalty, 66% in community loyalty, 66% in network ties, 73% in sense of belonging, and 72% in social capital. These findings support all the hypotheses tested.

The findings demonstrate that Instagram's visual modality, despite its limited text, effectively fosters social capital and loyalty. Informational and recreational motivations drive engagement, leading to social capital accumulation. The visual content's affective appeal enhances community cohesion, strengthening sense of belonging and network ties. The strong correlation between social capital, sense of belonging, and network ties highlights the importance of community integration in building brand and community loyalty. The results support the view that visual engagement can be as effective as text-based engagement in driving social interaction and value co-creation in OBCs. This contrasts with some previous research suggesting the visual modality might limit information depth and density, demonstrating the effectiveness of affect-based visual communication in fostering engagement and loyalty.

This study is the first to explore social capital development in Instagram-based OBCs, emphasizing the role of the visual modality. The findings show that affect-based visual imagery, fulfilling both informational and recreational needs, is crucial for building social capital and loyalty. The study provides practical implications for marketers, highlighting the importance of balancing information density and affective appeal in visual communication. Future research should extend this study to other domains, compare consumer-initiated and company-initiated communities, and incorporate consumer experience factors for a more comprehensive understanding.

The study's limitations include its focus on a single domain (automotive) and consumer-initiated communities in Indonesia. The dominance of male respondents in the sample might affect the generalizability of findings. Furthermore, the exclusion of experience factors could limit a full understanding of the engagement dynamics. Future research should address these limitations by investigating other product categories, considering both consumer- and company-initiated communities, and incorporating experience-related factors.