This paper is analysing how social media has helped curate online communities as seen through celebrities, specifically through K-pop bands, as self-branding and online influencing have become a big part of marketing when it comes to promoting a brand. Moreover, this paper will focus on how social media affordances have helped curate these online communities and how online communities are just as important and prevalent in someone’s life as it is offline, and the positive impacts online communities can have on an individual.
The role of social media has grown over the years, with more people relying on social media affordances to market their brand and create an online community for themselves and others to enjoy. When social media was first introduced into society, people were not as reliant and were more focused on their traditional media and communities, however, as time went by and social media grew to the platform it is now, many people began to switch to the online world either for work or personal reasons, as some people felt more connected to the online communities than in their offline communities. Social media has allowed for brands to use their online tools to not only promote themselves but to interact and create a strong bond with their online community which can be seen through many artists, specifically in K-pop artists. Social media tools allow for brands to promote themselves through self-branding using online tools to engage with community, communication through social media platforms create intimate relationships within community and how promoting one’s online identity allows for people to feel heard and connected within community.
Social media is still a new concept within society however many companies in the K-pop industry have learned how to use social media affordances to promote their artists through self-branding to tighten their artists relationships with their community, forming a strong relationship and bond within the community. The notion of self-branding allows for companies to market their artists own self to their audience in order to for the community to become involved and grow as the community becomes interested in the actual artists and who they are as people as they self-brand themselves as, “central to self-branding is the idea that, just like commercially branded products, individuals benefit from having a unique selling point, or a public identity that is singularly charismatic and responsive to the needs and interests of target audiences.” (Khamis et al., 2017, p. 191). As companies use social media affordances to promote the artists self-brand, it creates a strong bond within the community and makes people feel like they are connected to the artist as self-branding allows for people to feel like they know the artist and feel a sense of understanding, especially once they join the community for that artist as they will meet like-minded people and will feel understood, creating a positive interaction and mindset as they have found people who understands them, with similar interests as they the self-branded artist is a good form of creating communication when first joining the community. Furthermore, online community are built from the similar interests of people within the community, in this case following the same artist through their self-branding, which creates a positive impact for the individuals as “it often facilitates community members in accumulating social capital, encouraging collective trust, and receiving social support” (Hsiao & Chiou, 2012, p. 292) and social media platforms “have become important channels for facilitating group discussions.” (Butler et al., 2014, p. 700). This shows how online communities can play an important role in someone’s life as it facilitates their communication skills and allows them to from relationships, trust and bonds over the internet, something some people might struggle with in offline communities. Social media affordances have allowed new ways for companies to market their artists’ brand through self-branding on social media platforms, allowing for fans, or people in general, to easily connect and join the artists online community, forming a sense of trust, relationship and communication with others and could result in some people feeling less alone in the real world as they form these bonds in the online community. Self-branding has allowed for companies to curate a strong online community as they are able to use the online tools and affordances offered to them through social media however intimate relationships can be formed online as people can communicate and form strong relationships with their online community.
Self-branding allows for artists to form a trusting relationship with their followers which helps form their online communities however intimate relationships can be formed through social media platforms within the online communities as people can communicate through their interests and form an intimate bond through the communication tools social media platforms offers society. Intimate relationships can be formed through online communities as social media “relationships make social media social. Internet users have more opportunities to establish friendships with a broader network of friends compared to non-users, a point particularly true about those who access social media.” (Molaei, 2014, p.50) and “social media can facilitate and accelerate social relationships.” (Molaei, 2014, p.50). Intimate relationships can be formed as people have to communicate their thoughts and feeling over social media, forcing them to create a healthy relationship with another person over social media platforms, something they may struggle with if it was in person as some people find it easier to communicate online rather than offline, creating a stronger intimate relationship within online communities than offline communities, creating a positive impact as they know they have online relationships they can rely on and trust. Furthermore, online communities can create a positive impact on a person’s social needs as it can “establish social relationships that supplement their social network and that the newly formed virtual relationships play an important role in meeting the social needs.” (Marco Leimeister et al., 2008, p. 368). People can use social media platforms to not only create strong intimate relationships with people who are in the same community but can also form intimate relationships with the artists whose community they are apart of as they are able to communicate and interact with them and thus can form many different relationships and bonds online just like they would offline. Intimate relationships can be formed in online communities creating a positive mindset for those forming these relationships as it creates social interaction and makes them feel apart of something, even if it is an online relationship, as online relationships can sometimes be more intimate than offline relationships. Intimate relationships are prevalent within online communities however online identity, whether it be an artists or user, can help develop and identify themselves within community creating a positive outcome for those in the community.
Intimate relationships are attainable through online communities using social media affordances however online identity can help establish online community as it allows for the users to form emotion connection and explore their identity safely through a safe knit online community, which is something some people might not be able to explore openly in the offline world. Social media has allowed people to explore different identities as they can explore an offline identity and an online identity with, “the person having the common nexus of multiple identities, and through the person, those identities have opportunities to communicate, plan, share resources and otherwise facilitate their mutual verification.” (Qin & Lowe, 2019, p. 68). People can convey their online identity through online affordances within online communities which can allow them to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas to other through their own identity which can help others see what their online identity is like and what they are as an online prescence. For some, they may explore their true identity within their online communities, as it is not safe for them to do so in the offline world, which can allow them to properly explore themselves and connect with others with similar identities or create an online support group, which again is something they may not have in the offline world which can create a positive impact on them as a person. In addition, companies use an online identity to further build on their market strategy and thus strengthens the communities they are building and the communication between within the community and between the community and the artists as “social media content is brief, characterized as “many-to-many” communication, and able to spread rapidly across the Internet,” (DeCamp et al., 2013, p. 1) and thus reach a number of people who could potentially join in on the community as they can relate to the online identities of the artist and the people within the community. Online identities are still a new idea that hasn’t been fully explored yet or studied however people are able to use social media platforms to voice their identity and understand themselves in an easier manner as there is content and information they can use to understand their online identity and identities on the web, such as in community and celebrities, that they can relate to and understand themselves better in their online identity. Online identities help people form an understanding of themselves and explores aspects of themselves they may not be able to explore in their offline surroundings, and with the help of online community it can help create a safe space for them to ask questions and not feel like they can’t seek help from others if they needed it thus creating a positive environment for them through online community. Online community is just as prevalent as offline community and can be more welcoming and comfortable to be in an online community that it would to be in an offline community as they feel safer to explore themselves as a person.
Social media platforms and their affordances are still a new concept and idea within society and can still be explored and how online communities can be something positive for others to explore and interact within. Social media can have negative effects on people’s mental health; however, it can also have a positive change to a person life as seen through how online communities can create a positive impact and change in someone’s life as they can form strong connections and have a safe knit group of people in their life. Although this can have a positive impact on peoples life, society should become more aware of the dangers of social media and how it can effect people, especially those whose jobs are becoming reliant on the internet, such as celebrities focusing on social media to promote themselves and their brands using online platforms as this can cause detrimental mental health issues and danger their physical selves as it can be hard to separate work life and personal life as so much of their personal life is used to market their brand and garner a following for themselves. Social media has helped with marketing and branding however society should put research in how it can affect someone and how these affordances should have research behind it to enable it to be a more structured and positive impact on a person who chooses to use these affordances for their brand.
References
Butler, B. S., Bateman, P. J., Gray, P. H., & Diamant, E. I. (2014). An Attraction-Selection-Attrition Theory of Online Community Size and Resilience. MIS Quarterly, 38(3), 699–728. https://doi.org/10.25300/misq/2014/38.3.04
DeCamp, M., Koenig, T. W., & Chisolm, M. S. (2013). Social Media and Physicians’ Online Identity Crisis. JAMA, 310(6), 581. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.8238
Hsiao, C.-C., & Chiou, J.-S. (2012). The impact of online community position on online game continuance intention: Do game knowledge and community size matter? Information & Management, 49(6), 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2012.09.002
Khamis, S., Ang, L., & Welling, R. (2017). Self-branding, “micro-celebrity” and the rise of Social Media Influencers. Celebrity Studies, 8(2), 191–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2016.1218292
Marco Leimeister, J., Schweizer, K., Leimeister, S., & Krcmar, H. (2008). Do virtual communities matter for the social support of patients? Information Technology & People, 21(4), 350–374. https://doi.org/10.1108/09593840810919671
Molaei, H. (2014). Social Media Usage, Social Relations, and a Sense of Community in Indonesia. International Journal of Interactive Communication Systems and Technologies, 4(2), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijicst.2014070104
Qin, Y., & Lowe, J. (2019). Is your online identity different from your offline identity? – A study on the college students’ online identities in China. Culture & Psychology, 27(1), 1354067X1985102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067×19851023
Hi Nanette, an interesting read, Social Media really has become an important tool for branding and creating an identity which has led to success for many artists and professionals. Although beneficial, I do wonder about your point about it being difficult for them to separate work life and personal life, this would make for a great topic all on it’s own. Do you think with so much of their lives online, their personal life offline becomes their true identity?
I’d love your thoughts on my paper which also touches on branding and online identity in the small business community. https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/431/rise-of-the-woman-entrepreneur/
Hi Monica, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! I have done some research into this topic and I found that a lot articles go in depth about how a person may struggle with what their real identity is as so much of their identity is used for self-branding and promotion on social media platforms that some people may encounter confusion on what their real identity is as they have to use what they know about themselves to promote their brand online. According to Davies it “creates a public digital other however it is said to complicate and politicize our notions of privacy” and therefore it can create stress and confusion on what a persons online identity is versus what their identity is in an offline setting. After researching this topic, I found this idea quite interesting as I had never thought about it before but after researching found it to be quite sad as so many people go through feeling this now a days.
Yes it is interesting, and bittersweet to think a persons online identity can bring success yet offline leave them feeling lost. I can even relate this to a couple of “Mum” bloggers who have formed quite a following for offering a window into their lives. They can feel pressure to post engaging material regularly, remain uplifting & inspirational and basically just keep showing up for their “fans”. This can be draining and they have both admitted this in their posts. I’m sure they would have similar feelings – like they have two versions of themselves – and as you say, many people these days would feel that way with so much online.
Yes, I totally understand what you mean! I feel bad for mum bloggers as they not only have a family to take care of but they also have a large following where they have to act perfectly all time which can definitely have a large mental toll on their well-being, its quite sad to know that so many people go through this.
Great to see your paper at the conference Nanette. Like Monica, I was interested in your point about the danger of online work life taking over celebrities’ real lives, Did you find any information about what steps they might take to prevent this?
Andrea
Hi Andrea, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! As I had mentioned in my reply to Monica, research shows how people who use self-branding and promotion tools can cause stress and anxiety for a person as they will struggle with what their offline identity is versus their online identity. Through the research I have done, I did not come across on any topic on how people may try and prevent this from occurring as I feel as though it is a new concept that has not had much research done to it yet. I believe if there were more research to be done on this topic, there could be plans put in place on how to prevent this in the future. As self-branding causes peoples personal lives to bleed into their work and thus will struggle with breaking their work identity and personal identity into separate categories.
I enjoyed your paper, Nanette. I agree with you, there is a particular type of ‘bonding’ going on. It is partly to do with social capital, but there seem to be a whole raft of human needs in the mix. Belonging, tribalism, the kind of group euphoria of mass celebration. I find it hard not be cynical about celebrities and big corp manufacturing celebrities. You talk about “bonding” a number of times. I wonder whether some times it is the boding you get when a crowd gathers to watch a building burn down or a beached whale? Are these positive interactive relationships? Do they last outside of, beyond the shared focus? I see that some celebrities really do care about their connection with their fans. But it is a big bucks game and I can think of many flash-in-the-pan celebs that have cashed in on consumers’ human needs. I guess mass media has always had an element of this. What do you think? You might like to read my paper on identity: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/ioa/300/me-2-0-the-ability-for-individuals-to-perform-multiple-selves-online-allows-greater-freedom-than-ever-to-explore-their-identity-at-a-cost/ I look forward to your comments.
Hi Brendan, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! You have a lot of interesting points and questions about this topic. I personally believe, through both the research I have done and my personal experience from being a fan of multiple artists, especially K-pop artists, I believe some companies and celebrities use the relationship between fan and celebrity for capital reasons, instead of for the genuineness of the relationship. This can be seen especially through smaller K-pop groups as companies capitalize on the artists relation with their fans as at the end of the day the company is a business and needs to make business to keep afloat, albeit some companies definitely do this in unethical ways. However all though the negative side can be seen through K-pop artists and their companies, the positive side can be seen through some K-pop artists as well. Some K-pop artists, and even the companies associated with the artists, do have a genuine relationship with their fans and interact with them in a way that shows they do care for them as people and don’t just view them as money makers for their own benefit. Bonding can be seen through several different lenses but I do believe any lens its seen through can be justified, whether its negative or positive.
Totally agree with you. Will always be good and bad from these social revolutions. What do you think AI is going to do to all of this? Have you seen the film “Her” ? Will we see AI create digital K-pop bands perfectly tailored to what fans have responded to in the past? And will it matter if the band is not “real” people? There are some precedents. Experiments in the 60s with managers and record companies “creating” a band – The Monkeys, most famously. And I think there have been iterations of this with MTV bands that never performed live (because they couldn’t!). What do you think?
That’s actually a really interesting idea, and I think the creation of an entirely AI-driven band is much closer than it may appear. I think all the components for such a band have already been created. There are already AI that can analyse music and create original scores (the most well-known probably being AIVA, an AI which can create original musical scores in a variety of styles), as well as machine learning AI that can create original lyrics and poetry based on analysed texts. Text-to-speech technology has advanced to the point where ‘vocaloid’ artists can perform music in a fairly convincing manner, and if there’s one thing that ‘Hatsune Miku’ concerts have proven, it’s that there is undeniably a market for non-human pop artists that I’m sure will only continue to grow as the technology improves (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X11CTE7CmnI). That being said, I don’t think AI artists will ever truly replace human artists, but I suppose only time will tell. So, to answer your question, yes, it’s certainly conceivable that we will see AI create digital bands that can create perfectly tailored music based on what fans have responded positively to in the past, and while it may matter to some people that the band is not comprised of “real” people, there’s clearly a market for non-human bands as well.
Hi Nanette,
Thank you so much for the paper, I really did enjoy it. It has shown me just how big of an impact social media has had on the community. However, with people now starting to gravitate towards an online relationship rather than an offline one, do you think that it will a detrimental effect on their personal lives as a whole?
Hi Nicholas, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! I haven’t actually thought about that aspect before. I have had several friendship online that I believe hasn’t affected me in my personal life however I have never had an online relationship so I have never thought of that before. I personally do think though, from what I have seen online and from people I know in my personal life, online relationships won’t necessarily create a detrimental effect on their personal lives have I never heard or met anyone that has felt that way but if it were in terms of online long-distance relationships, it could become detrimental to some people in long-distance relationships due to varying environmental factors and social factors but for others it may not be as detrimental.
Hi Nanette,
As a person who is doing a Public Relations, Marketing and Web Media degree, social media is basically gonna be my entire job. So reading about the effects of these platforms of people, both in personal and professional use is of great interest. I think the intimate nature of online relationships, especially around celebrities and influencers AKA parasocial relationships is something that can be an extreme good from a business point of view, but personally very toxic. While I understand the deep connection some may feel to their favourite creator of choice, understanding that they are watching their content and not actually friends with that person is extremely important. If for example the person is creating a means for a community to be built and for members of said community to interact with each other as is the case for something like an online entertainment company like RoosterTeeth, then positives can obviously be seen. There is obviously a balance to maintain here however, as people want someone to trust and engage with online, both from a product/service point of view, but also generally so they can feel like they relate to something or someone. I do agree with your point around how these communities can create safe spaces to otherwise engage with questions or content that likewise wouldn’t be able deal with offline. I think it’s extremely important to how these outlets, especially for kids if they don’t feel comfortable talking to their parents about it. Fantastic paper, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Best Regards,
Jack
Hi Jack, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! I am doing a social media and digital marketing degree so I totally understand where you are coming from you say social media will be the majority of your job as so will be mine which is also why I wanted to share this topic as I feel as though it is an important topic to explore when it comes to social media and the workforce surrounding social media and all the ethical issues that need to be explored so we can get proper rules and regulation for when it comes to social media. I completely agree with all the points you have mentioned, as it can become quite toxic when people become too wrapped with their lives online and don’t realise the reality of what they could be doing to themselves or the community they are part of.
Hi Nanette, it was an exciting piece of work to read. Social media has given artists and other celebrities many opportunities to reach heights in their field by enhancing their visibility online and allowing them to be close to their fans. Taking the Kardashians as an example, is it not difficult for people to decipher when they are working or not, given that they are always promoting and the majority of their lives are online?
You can read my paper below:
https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/374/social-media-helped-in-creating-terror-and-panic-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-mauritius/
Thank you.
Hi Nadarajan, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! As for the question, I do believe it is quite difficult for some people to separate their work life and personal life when their work-life revolves around their life being shown to others through forms of media and interacting with people through social media to create a fanbase and connect with others to strengthen the relationship. This can make it very difficult to separate their personal life and work-life as it basically coincides and bleeds with one another. This can also cause emotional strain and can cause mental instability which is why I definitely believe more research should be put into this concept so others don’t have to go through similar experiences as those who use social media as their job presently.
Hi Nanette,
wow, what an educational piece! I most definitely agree with you and your statements suggesting that social media has created an online platform for artists to market themselves in a much more authentic manner in comparison to before social media marketing really took off! I was especially intrigued by your inclusion of k-pop, as that is a world of the unknown to me, so your elaboration on how they maintain their online communities was very interesting! Are there any other specific music industries you feel have also engaged more heavily in regards to forming relationships with their fans through socials media channels?
I would also really appreciate it if you could give my paper and read and let me know of your thoughts: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/csm/624/millennials-and-their-habitual-facebook-use-are-pioneering-the-growth-of-the-online-foodie-community/
Hi Georgina, thank you so much for your feedback, I appreciate it a lot! I definitely believe a lot of music industries and artists have used social media to engage with their fans and promote themselves using social media platforms, namely the American music industry and artists. One example that comes to mind for me is Taylor Swift, such as when she deleted all her Instagram posts to promote her album Reputation’, making people interested in what she is bringing out, as she was quite secretive about the promotion of her album, thus successfully promoting her new album. Moreover, other artists such as Doja Cat, Halsey and more frequently interact with their fans online, especially on Twitter, by replying to tweets and comments, bantering with their fans and thus creating a deeper relationship with their fans.