Crafting Personal Brands on Social Media: A Study of Pakistani Fashion Influencers on Instagram

Abstract

With the social media breakthrough and the emergence of numerous social media platforms, the notion of self-branding is now dominating society. Significantly, the concept of women's empowerment has touched a new height with the advancement of digital media. The new age of digital media has given the power to women to empower themselves as brands and market themselves utilizing social media tools. Although there are various studies about the influence and impact of social media on society and individuals and how they market themselves on these social media platforms, this research empirically investigates how lifestyle and fashion bloggers employ social media as a medium for self-branding with a focus on Instagram self-branding. By employing the content analysis method, the researchers have studied 65 Instagram feed posts of the top five female Pakistani Instagram-style bloggers of October 2022. The data analysis was conducted using a systematic coding scheme. The study reveals that the most popular fashion bloggers still adhere to hierarchical norms and conventional beauty standards. However, with the growing recognition of women's rights, social media has become avaluable platform for women to promote themselves and establish personal brands. Additionally, it was found that a substantial portion of fashion bloggers' followers are influenced by the bloggers' self-presentation, facilitated by technology, creating a relatable and emotional connection between them. Researchers explore the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for self-branding on social media