Whether you accept or give sponsorships tied to Instagram posts, Instagram is making an effort to make the disclosure process easier.
The social media network is now testing and considering for widespread use allowing users to tag a brand within posts. If the brand confirms the relationship, the post will then be marked as an ad with a “paid partnership with [brand name]” tag at the top.
The Federal Trade Commission recently called out Instagram in particular in a flurry of letters reiterating that influencers and marketers must clearly disclose their relationships to comply with the agency’s Endorsement Guides. The agency noted that endorsements need to be disclosed near the top of posts so that consumers who view posts in their streams or on mobile devices will see the disclosure without having to click “more.”
Although Instagram is making the change to help its users, the site is by no means guaranteeing compliance. Still, the new tool could be useful for business marketers who will be able to access data about a tagged post’s engagement with Instagram users.