The Effect of Social Media Content Types on User Reactions: Focused on a Case Study of Kew Gardens

Background and objective: Instagram, an image-based social media, is being used as an important outlet for the communication and place marketing of public spaces. The purpose of this paper was to analyze how types of place-based content affect user reactions (Likes and Comments) on Instagram in order to provide basic data on the operation and utilization of social media by public places such as botanical gardens and arboretums. Methods: A total of 850 posts uploaded to the Instagram account of Kew Gardens from November 6, 2014 to July 3, 2020 were classified using 14 subject codes. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the user’s reaction between the dependent variables (“Likes”, “Comments”) and the independent variables (14 subject codes). Results: The findings showed that user reactions appear to differ depending on the typology of the content, and “Likes” and “Comments” were presented in independent behavioral reactions. In particular, “close-ups of plants (botanic, macro),” “plant colony (botanic, wide),” “place-specific landscape (building, landscape),” “anniversary” and “information” showed positive impacts on both “Likes” and “Comments”which could lead to electronic word-of-mouth and content sharing. Conclusion: Based on these findings, it can be argued that the typology of a botanical garden’s content can be used to determine factors that affect the immediate reactions and enhance engagement with users.