Analyzing the museum experience through the lens of Instagram posts

The purpose of this study is to examine visitors’ Instagram posts through a combination of quantitative methodology to cast light on museum experiences. To analyze a large quantity of Instagram data, we used computer vision and semantic analysis. The results of hashtag analysis showed that informative hashtags were the most prominent for all museums. It is notable that the geo-related hashtags such as exhibition venue and local information accounted for a significant portion of the total data. Little to no evidence of viewing experience or emotional response can be derived from the results of hashtag analysis. In the image analysis of Instagram post, art exhibition, artifact and architecture were dominant, but the space within and around museums is also relevant. Thus, Instagram images can be an important component for understanding what is occurring within and around the museum when people move to take photographs and share these experiences on Instagram. This research offers a method for image analysis easily replicable by museums and insight about how to interpret the results for planning activities of audience development.