Unique Trend: Balinese Language as Promotional Tool on Social Media

Abstract

Balinese is one of Indonesia's great regional languages because it is still well-lived, maintained and used as a communication tool in Balinese tribe. Communication by using Balinese Language in Bali is not only used directly face-to-face, but has also been used virtually on social media. The use of social media is also not only done to exchange information but is also used as a place to find local Balinese entertainment. Many influencers and content creators in Bali take this opportunity by making some funny Balinese accent videos and getting paid for that. This trend continues where the use of the Balinese language becomes a promotional tool on social media platforms. A quantitative method was employed in this study by using a descriptive study on the object of the study. The research’s location is in Denpasar City, especially for Instagram users who have interest in Balinese language content. Balinese celebrities use Balinese in conveying their content and are used to help several businesses to sell their product on Instagram. Some examples of Balinese celebrities who often use Balinese in their content with an average number of followers exceeding 10,000 are the Instagram account haipuja, mamedwedanta, koalakepo and xmade_official. Based on the large number of followers, it shows that many people are interested in Balinese-language content brought by the celebrities so engagement is created on these accounts. Due to the high engagement generated, many brands have hired Balinese celebrities to promote their products. Therefore, Balinese content plays a role in attracting viewers' attention and is used as a promotional tool on Instagram.