The wait is over… here is my digital artefact pitch!!
Over the past four weeks we have described our media niche, mapped out a field site, problematised issues involved with the niche and finally laid down plans for our research process, including ethical standards, methods of observation, auto-ethnography, and a detailed schedule for the completion of the project. Altogether, these four blog posts have allowed for the ideation of Christine, Alex and I’s digital artefact project, which we will ethnographically explore. To allow for greater awareness into this aesthetic, we have created an Instagram account, @almondmlk.co whereby we will be sourcing and posting images that resonate with this media niche. Although this aesthetic is present on various platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr, we decided on Instagram as we believe we will gain a wider audience and hence, more interactions.
In addition to applying an observation research approach, I will be analysing and observing this niche/community through the concept of interpretivism. I believe this concept is most applicable as the world of Instagram and how we view images is entirely up to our interpretations. I will be focusing my ethnographic research on ‘what do audiences want to see and what is being posted’. To achieve this, I will be observing and taking notes on what the most popular categories/images are e.g. lifestyle, fashion etc. Understanding what this community is posting and why will allow me to source and create a similar tone and mood for our Instagram page.
I am very keen to start our ethnographic research and see where our Instagram page may take us!!
In today’s day and age, we all consume media in some way or another. For the majority of us, it is something we engage with daily whether that be for entertainment purposes, as a source of information or to keep in contact with friends, family and the world. When first hearing the term ‘media niche’ I was struck with confusion as I was not sure what my primary interest was. However, after scrolling through Instagram, YouTube and Spotify it became quite clear there was a pattern in what I watch, view and listen to. The content, which sparks most joy for me is all things lifestyle! Lifestyle content is such a diverse media niche that ranges from health, fitness, beauty, sustainable living and fashion… the list goes on!!
BCM241 (Media Ethnography) will allow me to obtain a deeper understanding of media niches as I ethnographically research this topic for my digital artefact. Ethnography is often considered a qualitative research method whereby individuals immerse themselves in a community or group, gaining insight into their social dynamics and shared culture. Taking a look at the lifestyle channels and pages I follow, it is clear the viewership would primarily consist of females aged 16-25. An important feature of ethnography is the concept of ‘social media influencer marketing’ (Glucksman, 2017). This explores how influencer marketing on social media opens up a new method for brands to build relationships with audiences directly. Social media influencers promote brands through their everyday lives, depicting them as relatable to the viewer (Glucksman, 2017).
My interest in lifestyle content began a few years ago and it is now something I engage with on a weekly basis. There are so many great influencers out there, sharing life hacks, healthy recipes, motivational tips and so much more! These types of videos resonate with me as I share a lot of similar interests and passions as the influencers. This is particularly true with UK content creator Zanna Van Dijk as we both share a passion for fitness, living consciously whether that be using sustainable products or being more environmentally aware. Many lifestyle content creators have a large presence, which exists separately to Youtube including platforms like Instagram or Facebook. These two global platforms allow for greater audiences to become engaged in a community that shares similar interests and ideas. Some of my favourite influencers including Sarah’s Day and Georgie Stevenson who also run their personal podcasts on Spotify where they explore all things fitness, relationships, manifestation and motivational hacks.
As stated by Erikson (2018:87) “Qualitative inquiry seeks to discover and to describe narratively what particular people do in their everyday lives and what actions mean to them”. This quote links up directly when looking towards lifestyle content online, in particular on YouTube. One thing that intrigues me with lifestyle content creators is the whole idea of how they run their various platforms and are continuously creating innovative projects. I am quite positive that my chosen media niche will resonate and interest others in the BCM241 cohort as lifestyle content tailors to a range of aspects in everyday life. Advancing my knowledge on lifestyle content and popular influencers will allow for a deeper understanding of such communities and the social dynamics present.
Glucksman, M., 2017. The rise of social media influencer marketing on lifestyle branding: A case study of Lucie Fink. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, pp.77-87. [Accessed 7 August 2020].
“10 Reasons Why Influencer Marketing is the Next Big Thing.”Adweek. N.p., 14 July 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2017. [Accessed 8 August 2020].
Leonard K 