Instagram’s New Ad Format to Expand Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Posted at Apr 23, 2019 8:00:00 AM by Taylor De Luca | Share

With more and more businesses using influencer marketing as way to garner brand awareness and increase sales, Instagram is responding by refining its influencer marketing tools. The platform recently announced it is developing a new way for brands to sponsor influencer-generated content by creating a new ad type called “Branded Content Ads”.

Branded Content Ads

Currently, when brands work with social media influencers and celebrities, the content will only reach the followers of the influencer, not the brand. Branded content ads will now allow the brand to promote these Instagram posts just as they would their own content. Although the brands can always post the influencer-generated content on their own Instagram pages, this will help streamline the process.

Creator Profiles

Instagram is also testing “Creator Profiles," recognizing that the traditional business profile doesn’t meet the needs of public figures or social media influencers. These new profiles feature more insights that provide a clearer picture of content performance. This will be especially beneficial to influencers when sharing statistics with the brands with which they are partnering. Creator profiles also allow influencers to manage their direct messages through different filters such as read, unread, flagged, etc. Account holders can also prioritize pending requests by relevance or time.

Crackdown on Fakes

Instagram is also continuing to crackdown on fake followers and likes gained via third-party apps. This is beneficial for businesses that conduct influencer marketing campaigns, as it provides more authentic and true metrics when negotiating how much you are willing to spend for influencer marketing.

With influencer marketing becoming a major source of Instagram content, I am glad to see the platform is making efforts to be more convenient and beneficial for both parties – the social media influencers and the businesses. If your company would like to start an influencer marketing program or ramp up an existing campaign, contact the professionals at THAT Agency today!