If you follow celebrities or influencers on social media, chances are that you’ve seen them post at least one blatantly obvious paid promotion tweet, status or picture. The subtle posts can be even more numerous and Facebook-owned Instagram is trying to better inform its users if the celebrities or influencers they follow are posting sponsored posts.
The internet-based photo-sharing application intends to do this by introducing a new label which features the words “Paid partnership with…” followed by whichever company is sponsoring the poster. The update, which is rolling out, is a welcome addition as it will help make the platform more transparent – and at the same time deter influencers and celebrities from attaching their name to products that may not work as featured.
Instagram says the new tool, which is available to users with an Instagram business profile, will give both creators and sponsors access to more info on how the sponsored posts perform in terms of visibility and interactions.
However, Instagram doesn’t yet know how to deal with fraud. Influencers can post a sponsored post without tagging it as one and Instagram currently don’t have a way to automatically catch and hold said posters accountable.
The new feature comes on the heels of a report by marketing firm MedaKix, which looked at Instagram’s 50 most-followed accounts. The report found that 93 percent of paid-for posts were not disclosed as such and that nearly 61 percent of sponsored posts were related to the fashion industry.
