Influencers with social and environmental impact through content creation on social media

Abstract

In this article, we acknowledge the important role of both social media—in the light of changes on relationships between individuals brought about by virtual environments—and influencers on social and environmental impact, which are vital to protect our society nowadays. A qualitative scoping review was conducted to identify, characterize, and analyze any elements that drove users to the consumption of contents posted on the Instagram platform. Additionally, key factors for sustainable consumption and content creation for wide-reach media platforms were defined, and strategies were developed to reach a wide audience through influencers. This is part of a research project aiming to advance strategies to attract fresh resources and donors, as a part of Corabastos’ social, business, and communicative policy. It aims at reducing food waste due to imperfections and valuing them. The methodological design turned to a nethnographic analysis of content created by the influencers @soycampesinocol, @los_ escachaitos, @lagranjadelborrego y @la.ecostantino, since they are considered success cases in social media. Among our findings, we highlight how these influencers have succeeded in raising awareness and mobilizing their audiences toward sustainable practices through the way they handle information, connecting with their audiences’ interests and generating an interactive and reciprocal relationship through online communication.