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Brands can now promote sponsored influencer posts on Instagram

Brands can now promote sponsored influencer posts on Instagram

Instagram has unveiled a new branded content tool that allows companies to promote posts shared by influencers.

A 'paid partnership' tag will appear on a post if a brand chooses to promote it, alongside the company's name. 

The branded content ads tool will roll out to all advertisers on Instagram in the next few weeks, and the platform will be extending the option to Stories later this year.

 Evolving ecosystem

According to a study from Ipsos commissioned by Instagram parent company Facebook, 68 per cent of people use Instagram to follow and engage with creators and influencers. 

The branded content ad tool will allow companies to promote both the influencer and the product mentioned. Facebook's targeted ad functions will allow the ad to appear beyond the followers of a brand or company in order to reach new eyes. 

“Branded content is an evolving ecosystem,” Instagram wrote in a recent blog post.

“As we’ve worked to build the right tools for both business and creators involved in branded content deals, one of the biggest requests from brands to date is the ability to incorporate branded content posts into their advertising strategies.”

Creators of branded content must enable a setting that allows the company to promote their posts as ads. Once this is enabled, brands will be able to see those posts in ads manager, where they can then run a chosen post as an advert. 

Instagram is currently toying around with removing likes from its posts, which could severely impact how influencers use the platform. This new ad promotion tool could be incredibly useful for influencers and brands alike. 

An ad authorised by a brand itself is also a positive step towards more transparency and disclosure in Instagram marketing, something that has lacked as the influencer marketing space continues to evolve.

Branded posts. Image: Instagram

Editor

Danielle Partis is editor of PocketGamer.biz and former editor of InfluencerUpdate.biz. She was named Journalist of the Year at the MCV Women in Games Awards 2019, as well as in the MCV 30 under 30 2020. Prior to Steel Media, she wrote about music and games at Team Rock.