Digital Culture & AudioVisual Challenges

Social media platforms have transformed the landscape of tourism promotion, offering unique opportunities for creative storytelling. However, audience behavior varies significantly across platforms, shaped by both the content’s narrative and the nature of the destination being showcased (Leung, Law, van Hoof, & Buhalis, 2013). This paper explores these nuances through the lens of the Sound Postcards project, which involved crafting short-form video narratives about Greek destinations, Corfu and Lesvos, and sharing them on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

The Sound Postcards project involved creating short-form videos, shot on a mobile phone, with romanticized voiceovers and scenic visuals, showcasing two Greek destinations. The content was shared across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, providing a unique opportunity to analyze audience engagement patterns.This small practice - based research combined platform analytics to provide a comprehensive understanding of how digital storytelling impacts tourism promotion.
Engagement metrics, such as view counts, likes, shares, saves, and comments, were collected using the built-in analytics dashboards of each platform: Instagram Insights through professional account statistics, TikTok Analytics through the Creator Tools section, and Facebook Analytics. These tools provided detailed quantitative data on user interactions, reach, and retention for each video, while content analysis highlights the emotional and cultural dimensions that drive engagement.

These observations led to the following research questions:

How do different social media platforms shape audience engagement with digital tourism narratives, and how does this vary depending on the characteristics of the destination?

How can storytellers leverage platform-specific engagement strategies to create more meaningful and community-driven content?

The project’s findings reveal distinct engagement patterns depending on platform and destination. Videos about Corfu performed notably well on Instagram, attracting organic story reposts by local businesses which used the content for promotional purposes. In contrast, videos about Lesvos gained more engagement on Facebook, especially through widespread sharing in nostalgic groups about the island. These groups often include locals or diaspora users with emotional ties to Lesvos. While the analysis was observational rather than statistical, the consistent platform-specific trends indicate that Instagram favors visual and aspirational content, whereas Facebook fosters community-based, emotionally driven storytelling—particularly through group interactions. These insights highlight the need to tailor storytelling strategies to both platform dynamics and destination characteristics.While Corfu thrives on photogenic appeal and traveler engagement, Lesvos excels in evoking nostalgia and cultural pride. This suggests a shift from cross-media content (single videos adapted to different platforms) toward transmedia storytelling—creating tailored content that maximizes each platform’s unique strengths.

Drawing on Jenkins’ (2006) concept of transmedia storytelling, this study explores how audience-specific narratives can enhance engagement across platforms. With just two videos each for Corfu and Lesvos, this small practice-based research has revealed opportunities to refine content strategies, increase virality, and apply transmedia principles for more impactful storytelling. Additionally, a practice-based research approach (Candy, 2006) has been key in integrating creative production with reflective practice, offering a strong foundation for further innovation in this field.

Future Work

The insights from this study have implications for academic research and practical applications in tourism promotion and digital storytelling.
The findings offer practical guidance for tourism boards and digital storytellers: rather than simply selecting the most effective platform for each destination, creators should adapt their content to match each platform’s unique storytelling dynamics. This shift toward transmedia thinking—tailoring narratives to maximize emotional and visual resonance per medium—can enhance both reach and authenticity. By applying this strategy, professionals can design campaigns that make even lesser-known destinations thrive across platforms.
By exploring how transmedia storytelling integrates localized audience dynamics across platforms, future campaigns can achieve broader reach and impact. Additionally, this research serves as a stepping stone for my PhD work, which focuses on transmedia storytelling in social media video content. It explores how digital tourism narratives evolve from cross-media to transmedia models, enhancing participation across platforms. As a pilot, it reveals engagement patterns and platform-specific affordances. It also shows how digital storytelling can support cultural sustainability by spotlighting underrepresented destinations through authentic, community-driven narratives, offering value to tourism professionals.

References

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. Retrieved from [https://www.nyupress.org/9780814742815/convergence-culture](https://www.nyupress.org/9780814742815/convergence-culture)

Leung, D., Law, R., van Hoof, H., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social media in tourism and hospitality: A literature review. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), 3–22. https://www.academia.edu/2967096/Daniel_Leung_Rob_Law_Hubert_van_Hoof_and_Dimitrios_Buhalis_2013_Social_Media_in_Tourism_and_Hospitality_A_Literature_Review_Journal_of_Travel_and_Tourism_Marketing_30_1_2_3_22Zote,

Digital 2023: Greece. Retrieved from https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-greece