One common tie that connects billions of otherwise completely different people around the world is the use of social media platforms. These personal sites are accessed daily by more than half of the global population and those numbers continue to increase annually. Most social media platforms begin as a way for people to communicate with family and friends, but savvy business industries have grabbed on to this popular train and are using the programs as ways to increase their company’s success.

Through strategies that enhance marketing and analysis, corporate and academic researchers are busier than ever attempting to mine through data collection resources and drive their business and scholarly decisions based on the information obtained through metadata results. In the field of research, one of the newer trends has been to use Instagram as a way to understand what’s going on in society and what needs people now have that are yet to be filled. Instagram has become a favorite way for many researchers to entrench themselves in a wider understanding of societal norms, wants, and expectations.

The Impact of Instagram on Society

If you see Instagram as a frivolous waste of time in which billions of people spend large parts of their day scrolling mindlessly past superficial content instead of being productive, you’re not wrong. But you’re not completely right, either.

Instagram has consistently grown faster over the past five years than any other social media platform, including Facebook. This is thought to be at least partly attributed to by the fact that it focuses on sharing photos rather than written content, so it entices more users.

Because of its focus on images, Instagram has worked to share diversity around the world, changing the way people look at a culture, a society, and people in general. Filtered pictures of the standards of beauty exist, yes, but these are more and more snubbed as collective individuals prefer the reality of true body imperfections.

Additionally, Instagram has shown people who have never seen the world around them about the beauty they could be exploring, also changing the way people travel. Between increased marketing of otherwise unknown places, brand exposure, and showing off food trends, Instagram has left its mark on a once-jaded society.

With so many impacts to target demographics, savvy researchers have stepped in and begun using this social platform as a means to collect data about their own projects and promote their own agendas.

Why Scientists Choose to use Instagram

Entrenching yourself in the world of Instagram as a scientific experiment has many advantages. As more researchers see the benefits of this social media platform, their impact on society increases in correlation. Scientists use Instagram to accomplish many goals, such as:

●      A means to influence their followers and establish a relationship that promotes the trust in science and showcases information that works to enact change or engage people in particular issues

●      A way to inform their followers as to facts regarding a subject or correct misinformation that is being spread

●      A marketing method to discuss their current works, solicit feedback, research ideas, and share published findings

●      An opportunity to build a personal relationship with readers and gain more followers, as well as keep a writing portfolio

●      Outreach attempts in which scientific conversations can be encouraged, citizenship involvement can be flamed, and science can be made accessible to the public as a way to increase understanding and comfortableness

As a researcher, utilizing Instagram is a smart way to get your information out to a wide audience, and to observe and collect data yourself. Instagram is based on images, which are global and overcome all language or cultural walls. They can be easily shared amongst followers, and tell the story you’re trying to say almost immediately. While your research article is going to be long and complex, targeted for a very specialized audience, your images are digestible for everyone.

Share Your Research with Impactio

Using social media platforms like Instagram is one way to make an impact. Another is to make sure the program you’re using to publish your work has everything you need to optimize your paper for its maximum potential. Impactio is an all-in-one platform that takes the expert scholar from compiling professional profiles to networking and beyond.

Impactio gives you the choice of a PDF publication of your profile and/or web page exporting, lets you track your citation indicators for impact through a variety of reports, and connects you to a network of your peers around the world. When you need a program you can trust to share your findings beyond social media, Impactio is the way to go.