A Peek Into Instagram's New Branded Content Tagging
(Portrait of yours truly by the amazing Ashley Gerrity)
I've seen a few influencers utilize Instagram's new Branded Content Tagging and read a few articles on it, but it remained a mystery to me until this morning.
When I opened the app, there was a message box at the top of my screen:
There's long been an ethical issue when it comes to posting sponsored content. Historically, it was obvious when a public figure endorsed a product and assumed that they were compensated in return. That type of knowledge is important for consumers so they can be informed and make their own judgements. The Federal Trade Commission continuously works "to improve disclosure in social media endorsements."
I've been wondering about the integration so I pushed the "Get Started" button and took some screenshots so you can get a glimpse, too. It seems pretty straightforward, but I'm not sure I'll remember all the steps when it comes time for my next sponsored post. So, this blog is just as much for you as it is for me. The following is Instagram's explanation to me, a business profile owner and micro-influencer.
Even if a product is gifted, the law states that the relationship between content creators and brands must be explicit. Some unclear endorsements are to blame for events gone horribly awry, such as the failed Fyre Festival. Hailed by many popular influencers as a luxury music getaway in the Bahamas, it was anything but. The event was all hype and people spent a lot of money to essentially be stranded. Hopefully, with more clarity of relationships between businesses and social media stars, there won't be anymore bamboozling of consumers.
Do you know which brands are successfully and regularly utilizing this new feature? I've seen it a few times, but no specific accounts come to mind. I wonder if this is another way that Instagram is going to strong arm businesses into boosting content with paid reach.
Seems like there's going to be a learning curve on both the part of creators and brands. While there's only a few steps, it's not very intuitive a process. Creating a workflow will be necessary for the success of content creation and abiding by Instagram's new guidelines.
One of the most valuable parts of this feature seems to be better performance measurement through in-app tracking. Businesses will be able to quantify the success of partnerships based on specific posts. We can only manage what we measure, and this is going to make marketing departments much more effective with their budgets.
I'll report back when my my content is back from the photographer for my next sponsored post.