Blog post 1: Instagram profile success
National Geographic curates a unique Instagram page in that it is so diverse, yet so carefully constructed. Each post connects to a wide audience while sharing very specific stories. Below you will find three of their posts that I consider most compelling.
The above photo could be intended for several different audiences including those in the medical profession, those with an interest in medicine or anyone else drawn to the initial mystery of the doctors’ focus. This post, in particular, leaves the audience with questions that are later answered in the caption. This is clearly a successful tactic used to engage the audience with the story and reporting that accompanies this photo. By using the names of the doctors in the photo as well as a reference to previous medical cases, Nat Geo manages to make a connection with audience members who have prior knowledge of those stories. This can also be seen as a drawback for people who do not know of the other cases, however, it gives them the chance to go read the longer story and learn more about the face transplants.
This post was particularly compelling in that is created a clear dichotomy of two worlds, that of the humans on the surface and the whale shark below. The goal of any Instagram post is to bring the viewer to read the caption, and this one manages to do that with the clear storytelling in the photo. To better understand what the photo is illustrating the audience must read the post. The intended audience would not be some who is familiar with ecotourism, but rather someone who knows little about it and ultimately ends up learning more from this post. One of the drawbacks would be, and this is the case in most if not all of their posts, is the lack of attribution or quoting in the reporting in the caption. Had some perspective been provided, other than that of the reporter, we could gain a direct understanding from a conservationist or practitioner. The hashtags, however, provide a better context with thematic ideas to consider.
This picture is so compelling in that it is a clear representation of love. Almost any one of their followers would engage with the post as it depicts a universal idea. What I also consider compelling is the caption. It is a firsthand account from the photographer, who is also presumably Arab, of this experience with his culture and capturing this photo. You can tell through the comments that a diverse audience was reached solely based on the various languages they were left in. Although the lack of hashtags could be considered a drawback, in this case, I would consider it a smart, conscious decision to maintain the intimate feeling of the post.
I think that Nat Geo is acutely aware of their audience and values their feedback. In Jennifer Bradel’s piece, she suggests that journalists and editors disregard their audiences and don’t consider them valuable in their process. However, with this Instagram page, in particular, we see that with such a high number of likes on all of the posts, the audience feels compelled by the material. Whether they understand the intent behind each post or not, they are drawn to the stories. Many of the stories are likely not about audience members themselves, rather stories of people, places and things from all over the world. I think that this echoes the ideas in the Jay Rosen piece; people will still come to the “big media,” because they are able to tell stories that “the people” can’t. Nat Geo is bringing it’s audience stories they would not otherwise get if it weren’t for their photographers and reporters all around the globe. Despite people living and working in these areas, and having the technology and tools to find these stories, the audience will still flock to places like Nat Geo to learn about them.