There’s no doubt that influencer marketing, and, ahem, the less graceful ‘paid posts’, has dominated Instagram. And with over 90% of celebrity endorsements being in violation of rules around influencer marketing, something needed to be done.
Soon, we'll start to see a new “Paid partnership with” tag on posts and stories. This feature will enable influencers to show when they are working in partnership with a brand (or when they’re being paid to promote tea.)
While Instagram does not *yet* have a way to enforce that influencers and brands use this new tool, users who do will have access to additional metrics. The sponsor and influencer will be able to view Insights to track exactly how their content is performing.
Facebook introduced a similar system last year, which enables verified Pages to share branded content on by tagging partner brands in their posts.
However, there is an element Instagram hasn’t taken from Facebook. This is an increased reach based on the tagged partner. On Facebook, when you tag a brand in a post, the algorithm then uses your tags to increase the likelihood of your content being shown to a group of people who are mutually interested in both you and the Page you’ve tagged. There’s no current word of this happening on Instagram yet, this may be as it’s a new tool, and could possibly be brought in in the future.
“Launching this branded content tool is the first step in ensuring transparency of paid partnerships on Instagram. As we continue to learn how our community engages with the product, we'll be able to gather important feedback.” - Instagram
What do you think of this update? Should social media platforms be stricter on influencers and paid partnerships? Let us know on Twitter! @DigitalBoffins