Image-based online social networks in museum communication. Spanish museums of Modern and Contemporary art in Pinterest and Instagram

Abstract

This article presents an overview of Pinterest and Instagram, both image-based social media networks that have experienced the biggest growth in the last few years. The most active museums in social media around the world and specially those identified as museums of Modern and Contemporary art, use this kind of social networks in their communication strategies. For these reasons it is interesting to analyze Spanish museums of Modern and Contemporary Art with similar characteristics that are participating actively in Pinterest and Instagram and the strategies they are using. Our research scope is the overall population of museums of Modern and Contemporary art in Spain, these museums are related by two conditions:  Modern and Contemporary art as principal scope and being located in Spanish territory. We want to analyze Spanish museums of Modern and Contemporary art actually using Pinterest and Instagram, and which of these museums are using these social media networks to promote their cultural products, recognizing the potential of both image-based social media networks in cultural communication.