Awareness and Engagement Gap in Instagram Content Strategy: Analysis of Social Media Interactivity in Book and Lifestyle Retail
Abstract
The transformation from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 has fundamentally shifted organizational communication from a one-way model to an interactive ecosystem that enables dialogue, collaboration, and user engagement. In the context of book and lifestyle retail, Instagram functions as a strategic platform for building visual identity, emotional connections, and social capital with audiences. This study aims to analyze how book retailers utilize Instagram as a two-way communication tool and evaluate the effectiveness of content in converting awareness into engagement.
This research applies a quantitative descriptive content analysis of 308 Instagram posts from the @gramediabigmall_samarinda account over a 30-day period. The analysis includes performance metrics such as impressions (181,800), total interactions (959), follower growth (192), and content characteristics in terms of theme and format.
The findings reveal that promotional content dominates the overall posting strategy, primarily through photos and discount announcements, while educational video content contributes significantly to reach. Despite the high posting intensity, the engagement rate is only 0.52%, far below the general benchmark of 2–5%. This indicates a substantial gap between awareness and engagement, driven by the limited use of interactive features and a tendency toward unidirectional communication.
The study concludes that social media effectiveness is not determined solely by content reach or frequency, but by the ability to stimulate active audience participation. Low interactivity reflects missed strategic opportunities to strengthen engagement and build long-term social capital.
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