Exploring the Success Factors of Content Creation on Instagram: A Qualitative Approach

To identify the success factors of content creation on Instagram based on the content characteristics, creator and effectiveness indicators.

The current research has been conducted by applying the thematic analysis method and the exploratory approach through analyzing the users' comments on content, examination of successful experiments, expert views and lived experience of content creators. The statistical population consists of all Instagram educational pages from which 30 pages were selected using the purposive sampling method based on the competitive benchmarking approach. The research instrument consisted in an analysis of the themes extracted from the Instagram pages, and these themes were then classified. The validity of the research was assessed and then confirmed by using the triangulation method.

The results showed that according to the users' views, the success factors of content acceptance included: quality, informativeness, credibility, added value, expertise, and being motivational, entertaining, unique, relevant, realistic, up to date, innovative, applicable, sharable, and personalized. Content effectiveness indicators included: the number of followers, user feedbacks in posts, stories, the mean likes rate, comments, post saving, sharing, user engagement rate, view rate, and posting contents as private messages. Furthermore, the features of the successful content creator included: commitment, creativity, credibility, expertise, distinct identity, creativity, and avoidance of copying, being vulnerable, patience, having intelligent behaviors, a strong sense of cooperation and communication, familiarity with analytical tools and platform, and accepting changes and updating.

 Paying attention to all components affecting the success of content creation on the Instagram, including both those related to the created content and those related to user interaction with information, can be measure of success in providing and sharing information. In the current research, a new method of study into the educational content of Instagram was applied.