Owned media, influencer marketing, and unofficial brand ambassadors: differences between narratives, types of prescribers, and effects on interactions on Instagram

In the attention economy, audiences on social networks are saturated with low-credibility, intrusive ads. Brands therefore seek proximity via non-invasive, user-generated storytelling focused on natural, experience-based messages. This study compares which narrative elements used by official Instagram accounts of five Ibero-American nation brands and by users (UGC) posting with hashtags promoted by those accounts generate greater organic interaction (likes and comments). Using quantitative, descriptive, and correlational content analysis, two validated coding sheets were applied to 5 official profiles (Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela) and to the top 100 relevant UGC posts per country using promoted hashtags. Results show that Reels achieve almost five times greater reach in UGC than any other post type, while in corporate accounts Reels receive the fewest interactions. Giveaways in official accounts generated fewer likes; CSR content and posts featuring influencers/celebrities did not yield significant interactions. Overall, official accounts generate similar likes to UGC but significantly fewer comments. Brands outperform UGC in likes for single Photographs and Photo Rolls, whereas UGC outperforms brands in Reels on both metrics.

José Daniel Barquero Cabrero, Bárbara Castillo-Abdul, Juan Andrés Talamás-Carvajal, Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez