Elements to Social Media Success: Analyzing Fashion Trends and Performance Factors on Instagram

Trends are the catapult to success for accounts on social media. And though many creators and businesses follow similar trends, only a select number reach their desired results. Previous research has only gone as far as explaining the significance of social media in the fashion industry, as well as the power of trends in the digital realm. This study evaluates 10 Instagram posts under the #sweatervest trend, categorizing them into successful and unsuccessful based on engagement metrics to assess which factors—relevance, interactiveness, use of familiar concepts, innovation, and entertainment—most contribute to performance. Findings conclude a generally positive relationship between each factor and the performance of the content. These elements together serve as a "formula" or "recipe" on how to make successful content when following a social media trend.