WEEK SIX: Let’s go Online SHOPPING!

I am officially active on Tumblr and I am currently following a vast array of fashion blogs. I am also following some well-known K-POP idols such as Irene and Seulgi, who interestingly and also in slight contradiction to their own behaviour, have a song entitled, ‘Be Natural.’

I began my content analysis, whereby I am observing online presence of well-known and aspiring bloggers. I have noted similarities between the most popular or most commonly re-blogged images and also began to question why others do not succeed in the same way.  I also had a look at the hashtags used in the ‘popular’ blogs and realised that a lot of blogs will go unseen, due to the fact that they do not use this method of tagging.

These were key observations made this week;

-the most immediate items which come up when searching ‘fashion’ hash-tags into tumblr, are interestingly, not images of ‘luxury’ fashion items. There is a large range of individuals who blog their own creations. These images have not got a high rate of re-blogging.

-When an individual is sporting a luxury fashion item, it will often generate a greater amount likes though is not as often re-blogged. The images of the items alone are more likely to be ‘re-blogged.’

 

I believe this is because people use Tumblr as a means for online ‘window’ shopping. Due to the vast amount and flow of the content, it is always up to date with seasonal items. Over the past few days, my Tumblr has been flooded with images of new season collections, popular images of models backstage and luxury products galore!

An interesting observation was the impact of HASH-TAGGING. It is a blogger’s way to gain viewers as it provides a method for people to easily search a word or name and then they will filter through each image with the hashtag. For success on Tumblr, it is essential to hashtag, as this is how people search for images/content.

When hash-tagging, general words are used, as people are more likely to find the image. It is also effective to tag the brands of the items, especially when it is a luxury item. This ensures recognition of the item and also filter’s the image to people who are searching for the brand.

This week made me question why these luxury fashion items assist people in gaining such readership? What do these items represent? It is different for each individual and for each individual audience member? It is certainly clear that a lot of people who enjoy fashion, think similarly in the sense that the more expensive the item, the more desirable. But why is this?