Inspire me, please! The effect of calls to action and visual executions on customer inspiration in Instagram communications

Abstract

Social media, and in particular Instagram, can provide a suitable communication channel to achieve customer inspiration. However, it is essential to implement the right strategy. This research aims to advance in the concept of social media customer inspiration by analysing three dimensions: inspiration by, inspiration to buy, and inspiration to brand community. To this end, the effect of different executions that combine the call to action with the visual content of the brand (brand name presence) and the fragmentation of the content (publication in carousel) is explored. Three experimental studies are conducted in studies in three sectors (travel, food and beverages), with different targets (brand followers and non-followers) and in two Instagram communication formats (feed posts and stories). Empirical results show interesting implications that contribute significantly to advancing both theory and practice.