ASSESSING AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT WITH INSTAGRAM

CLIENT

Shedd Aquarium

ABOUT

While working as a member of the Audience Research and Evaluation team at Shedd Aquarium, I observed that digital learning, mobile technology, and social media were under-explored dimensions of the visitor experience. A review of academic literature found that few researchers have published studies on what we can learn from visitor to informal learning environments based on what they are sharing on social media.Concerned by this dearth of information, I began an exploratory project to analyze visitor-generated Instagram content as a means to assess audience engagement.

I am currently in the process of building a database of Instagrams tagged at Shedd Aquarium during 1 month of the summer. Photos are being analyzed based on subject of the photo, number of posts per individual, hash tags, virality, social dynamics, and environmental messaging.This page will stay updated as paper writing and/or opportunities for publication move forward.