ANALYZING THE LANGUAGE STYLES ON “FOLKATIVE” SOCIAL MEDIA

Abstract

This study explores how language style and visual elements work together in the Instagram captions of Folkative. Guided by Kress and van Leeuwen’s Multimodal Social Semiotics and McCrimmon’s classification of language styles into formal, informal, and colloquial, the research analyzes 20 captions posted in June and July 2025. The findings reveal that colloquial language is the most dominant, found in 10 captions, followed by 7 informal and 3 formal ones. These styles are often supported by visual features like emojis, layout, images, and typography. For instance, emojis such as fire, heart hands, and clapping hands enhance the friendly, expressive tone used in colloquial captions. The combination of casual language with relatable visuals helps create a personal and engaging message, especially for Gen Z and Millennials. This shows how Folkative effectively blends style and visuals to strengthen brand communication, particularly in promotional content and business partnerships on social media.