Keywords
Informational Content
Instagram Marketing
Social Media Engagement
Sportswear Brand
How to Cite
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the influence of content type emotional versus informational on the engagement level of Instagram posts by local sportswear brands in Indonesia. This research employs a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. Data was collected through web scraping of Instagram posts from five local sportswear brands. The final sample consists of 330 posts, which were analyzed using multiple linear regression (OLS). Engagement is measured by an aggregate index based on the number of likes and comments, transformed logarithmically, and re-tested with alternative indicators. The model also controls for post characteristics, content format, posting time, and brand differences. The results show that emotional content has a positive and significant relationship with overall engagement, particularly in driving likes. However, this effect was not significant for comments. The video format did not increase overall engagement or moderate the effect of content type but positively influenced comments, representing a more intensive form of engagement. This study concludes that Instagram content effectiveness is contextual and multidimensional. Emotional content is more effective in triggering immediate responses, while deeper engagement is influenced by a combination of factors beyond message orientation alone. These findings contribute empirically to digital marketing literature and provide practical implications for content strategy in local sportswear brands.
References
Al-Haddad, S., Sharabati, A., Nasereddin, A., Alyah, M., Mehyar, O., & Ali, A. (2024). The impact of Instagram content marketing on cognitive engagement, affection, and behavior. International Journal of Data and Network Science. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2024.4.010
Aydin, G., Uray, N., & Silahtaroglu, G. (2021). How to Engage Consumers through Effective Social Media Use - Guidelines for Consumer Goods Companies from an Emerging Market. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 16, 768–790. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16040044
Berger, Jonah, & Milkman, Katherine L. (2012). What Makes Online Content Viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192–205. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0353
Calder, Bobby J, Malthouse, Edward C, & Schaedel, Ute. (2009). An Experimental Study of the Relationship between Online Engagement and Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 23(4), 321–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2009.07.002
Chen, L., Chen, Y., Pan, Y., & Smith, A. (2025a). Increasing the Engagement with Sponsored Influencer Videos: Design Strategies for Structure and Content. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 29, 401–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/10864415.2025.2515725
De Vries, Lisette, Gensler, Sonja, & Leeflang, Peter S H. (2012). Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(2), 83–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2012.01.003
Dessart, L., Veloutsou, C., & Morgan-Thomas, A. (2015). Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a social media perspective. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 24(1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2014-0635
Dubovi, I., & Tabak, I. (2021). Interactions between emotional and cognitive engagement with science on YouTube. Public Understanding of Science (Bristol, England), 30, 759–776. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662521990848
Eslami, S. P., Ghasemaghaei, M., & Hassanein, K. (2022). Understanding consumer engagement in social media: The role of product lifecycle. Decision Support Systems, 162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2021.113707
Gu, W., Chan, K. W., Kwon, J., Dhaoui, C., & Septianto, F. (2023). Informational vs. emotional B2B firm-generated-content on social media engagement: Computerized visual and textual content analysis. Industrial Marketing Management, 112, 98–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.04.012
Gutiérrez-Cillán, J., Camarero-Izquierdo, C., & San José-Cabezudo, R. (2017). How brand post content contributes to user’s Facebook brand-page engagement. The experiential route of active participation. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 20(4), 258–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brq.2017.06.001
IMARC Group. (2024). Indonesia Sportswear Market Size and Growth Report 2024. https://www.imarcgroup.com/indonesia-sportswear-market
Kemp, S. (2025). Digital 2025: Indonesia. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-indonesia
Kohout, S., Kruikemeier, S., & Bakker, B. (2022). May I have your Attention, please? An eye tracking study on emotional social media comments. Comput. Hum. Behav., 139, 107495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107495
Konak, Y. (2023). Impact of video content on audience engagement: a study of social media among ukrainian fashion brands. Marketing and Digital Technologies. https://doi.org/10.15276/mdt.7.3.2023.6
Kozinets, R. V., Dolbec, P.-Y., & Earley, A. (2014). Netnographic Analysis: Understanding Culture through Social Media Data. In The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis (pp. 262–276). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446282243.n18
Levesque, N., & Pons, F. (2023). Influencer Engagement on Social Media: A Conceptual Model, the Development and Validation of a Measurement Scale. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 18, 1741–1763. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18040088
Lim, W. M., & Rasul, T. (2022). Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future. Journal of Business Research, 144, 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.068
Moseri, A. (2021). Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works. https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works
Mou, A. J., Rabbi, M. S., & Rainy, T. A. (2025). Strategic Use of Engagement Marketing in Digital Platforms: A Focused Analysis of Roi and Consumer Psychology. Journal of Sustainable Development and Policy. https://doi.org/10.63125/hm96p734
Neuendorf, K. A. (2017). The Content Analysis Guidebook (Second). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071802878
Pansari, A., & Kumar, V. (2017). Customer engagement: the construct, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 294–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0485-6
Pletikosa Cvijikj, I., & Michahelles, F. (2013). Online engagement factors on Facebook brand pages. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 3(4), 843–861. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13278-013-0098-8
Shahbaznezhad, H., Dolan, R., & Rashidirad, M. (2021a). The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users’ Engagement Behavior. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53, 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.05.001
Small, T. A. (2011). WHAT THE HASHTAG? Information, Communication & Society, 14(6), 872–895. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2011.554572
Tafesse, W., & Wien, A. (2018). Implementing social media marketing strategically: an empirical assessment. Journal of Marketing Management, 34(9–10), 732–749. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2018.1482365
Tiwari, S. K., Haque, M. A., Kirmani, M. D., & Kumar, S. (2025). How social media advertising influences sustainable purchase intentions in the digital age. Discover Sustainability, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01820-7
Townsend, L., Wallace, C., & Harte, D. (2016). Social Media Research: A Guide to Ethics.
Trunfio, M., & Rossi, S. (2021). Conceptualising and measuring social media engagement: A systematic literature review. In Italian Journal of Marketing (Vol. 2021, Number 3, pp. 267–292). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43039-021-00035-8
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer Engagement: Exploring Customer Relationships Beyond Purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122–146. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679200201
Wafa, I. (2025, August 29). 5 Brand Pakaian Olahraga Lokal Favorit Publik RI, Specs Nomor 1 - GoodStats Data. https://data.goodstats.id/statistic/5-brand-pakaian-olahraga-lokal-favorit-publik-ri-specs-nomor-1-Mc8BB
Wahid, R. M., & Gunarto, M. (2022). Factors driving social media engagement on Instagram: Evidence from an emerging market. Journal of Global Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2021.1956665
World Health Organization. (2024). Indonesia physical activity country factsheet 2024. World Health Organization. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/pa-factsheet2024/pa-factsheet-_indonesia2024.pdf?sfvrsn=87b811bd_3
Xiao, L., Li, X., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Exploring the factors influencing consumer engagement behavior regarding short-form video advertising: A big data perspective. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103170
Zhang, X., Zhao, Z., & Wang, K. (2023). The effects of live comments and advertisements on social media engagement: application to short-form online video. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-02-2023-0069
Zheng, C., Ling, S., Cho, D., & Kim, Y. (2024). How Social Presence Influences Engagement in Short Video-Embedded Advertisements: The Serial Mediation Effect of Flow Experience and Advertising Avoidance. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 19, 705–724. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer19020038
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hasanuddin Economics and Business Review