The Exposure Economy Model: Navigating Visibility on Instagram

Abstract

To be seen on social media is a crucial concern for content creators, who have developed visibility practices to stand out in overcrowded online markets. ‘Exposure’, the state of being publicised to new audiences, has hence become increasingly valuable and is treated as a reward to be utilised as currency. This thesis shifts thinking around the social media landscape by offering a new model to view the participants and practices involved in the production, consumption, and trade of exposure. The Exposure Economy Model (EEM) compares the operations of the Instagram platform and its users, influencers, and agencies to respective economic stakeholders, namely retail institutions, consumers, brand manufacturers and distributors. This comparison is grounded in digital ethnography, consisting of participant observation, surveys, semi-structured interviews, and textual analysis. Through investigating the exposure-seeking practices within EEM, the research design examines algorithmic structures that lead to disproportionate visibility outcomes online. Subsequent research findings introduce new categories to segment social media users, namely engaged users, private participants, and need-centric consumers, and illustrate how variables such as aesthetics, aspiration and authenticity are crucial to the construction of influencer branding. By focusing on Instagram, this thesis explores the app’s specific use by key stakeholders, how they navigate capitalist systems and the social and cultural impacts of exposure inflation. Beyond the example of Instagram, however, these discussions build on existing research on influencers, micro-celebrity, and the creator economy by drawing attention to digital inequalities and providing suggestions for mitigating and adapting to social media change.