DIGITAL IDENTITY AND ENTREPRENEURIAL BRANDING: STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PRACTICES OF INSTAGRAM CREATORS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31947/aiccon2025.v1i1.47726Keywords:
Digital Creator, Personal Branding, Instagram, Strategic Communication, Social Media EntrepreneurshipAbstract
Kemajuan teknologi digital yang pesat telah mengubah cara individu membangun identitas pribadi dan terlibat dalam kegiatan kewirausahaan melalui media sosial, khususnya Instagram. Instagram yang dulunya hanya dianggap sebagai platform untuk ekspresi pribadi, telah berkembang menjadi alat komunikasi strategis untuk membangun merek pribadi dan memonetisasi konten. Studi ini menyelidiki strategi komunikasi yang digunakan oleh kreator digital dalam menyusun merek pribadi melalui Instagram, mengidentifikasi tantangan yang dihadapi, dan menganalisis pola komunikasi mereka dalam melibatkan audiens untuk mendukung inisiatif bisnis. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan penelitian kualitatif, data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, dan dokumentasi konten dari kreator digital terpilih yang secara aktif menggunakan Instagram untuk tujuan pencitraan merek dan komersial. Temuan penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa mamitoko sebagai kreator digital secara strategis mengelola merek pribadi mereka melalui konsistensi visual, penceritaan yang autentik, dan penggunaan fitur platform yang interaktif seperti Stories, Reels, dan sesi Live. Keaslian, kredibilitas, dan pesan yang berpusat pada audiens muncul sebagai pilar utama pendekatan pencitraan mereknya. Selain itu, interaksi dialogis—yang ditandai dengan responsivitas dan keterlibatan relasional—terbukti berperan penting dalam meningkatkan loyalitas audiens dan mendorong peluang monetisasi, termasuk dukungan, kolaborasi merek, dan promosi produk pribadinya seperti makanan dan mode. Meskipun fasih secara digital, ia menghadapi tantangan penting, seperti mempertahankan relevansi konten di tengah lanskap algoritmik yang berubah dan menegosiasikan ketegangan antara keaslian pribadi dan persona yang dikurasi. Studi ini selanjutnya menyimpulkan bahwa Instagram berfungsi tidak hanya sebagai situs jejaring sosial tetapi juga sebagai ekosistem komunikasi digital yang dinamis tempat identitas, pengaruh, dan perdagangan bersinggungan. Temuan ini berkontribusi pada semakin banyaknya literatur tentang komunikasi digital dan personal branding, yang menawarkan wawasan teoritis dan implikasi praktis bagi para akademisi, profesional komunikasi, dan pengusaha konten yang menavigasi lanskap media kontemporer.
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