EXPLORATORY STUDY: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN TRAVEL BLOGGERS AND TRAVEL CONSUMERS ON INSTAGRAM AND ITS INVOLVEMENT ON TRAVEL CONSUMER’S JOURNEY FOR TRAVEL PLANNING PROCESS

• Main Author: Ariella Detrisa (NIM 19014142), Vania
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/24613
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The growth of social media marketing and the shifting behaviour of travel consumers from the linear path to the cyclical path in travel planning process are the main reasons why social media is commonly being used by people for travel-related purpose. As one of the most popular social media platforms, Instagram allows its users, specifically Indonesian Travel Bloggers, to share photos and videos while they are travelling to several destinations in Indonesia and around the world. By this <br /> <br /> condition, a depth understanding of how social media marketing promotes travel destinations is needed, particularly as Indonesia’s attempt to improve its travel industry. Hence, the objective of this study is to identify the role of social media marketing performed by each travel blogger, to reveal the content type that is mostly engaged travel consumers on Instagram, and to explore the involvement of travel bloggers on Instagram in travel consumer’s journey for travel planning process. A qualitative approach was conducted in by performing content analysis for each travel blogger’s Instagram <br /> <br /> account and by interviewing their followers. This approach was followed by a quantitative analysis and triangulation method to validate findings from the qualitative method by calculating the average engagement score for each travel blogger, performing data triangulation, as well as performing methodology triangulation. Results indicated that the engagement of travel consumers towards the post is significantly affected by the bright tone of posts and the content type of images, which are landscape view – focused, landscape view only, and travel blogger – focused. Meanwhile, caption, tags, and hashtags, as supportive elements, do not significantly affect the engagement score of travel <br /> <br /> bloggers. All the supportive elements might be helping in increasing the engagement, but not that significantly. The findings of this research will be useful for travel bloggers in improving their strategies and for the other related parties, such as travel agent and government institutions to include travel bloggers as their part of marketing strategies in promoting the destination