Many influencers conceal advertising deals
Three out of four social media influencers conceal advertising disclosures in their posts. Users often cannot tell at first glance that a post is a paid advertisement. For example, social media stars bury the relevant information in a series of hashtags. This is shown by a study conducted by the marketing firm Awin.
"From a legal perspective, but above all from a consumer protection perspective, advertising must be labeled accordingly," explains brand strategist Michael Brandtner in an interview with Press release. "For brands and influencers, however, it is often desirable for customers not to recognize an ad as such, or not immediately. The reason: advertising is less credible than an honest opinion or content that is only intended to inform. Seen in this light, influencers are always operating in a gray area when they explore the legal boundaries in their collaboration with brands."
For the study, Awin used several hashtags that can identify an advertisement in Instagram posts. These include #ad, #advertisement and #sponsored. For each of these terms, the analysts examined the 100 most viewed pieces of content. They checked whether the hashtag was visible in the preview of the post or hidden in the text.
"Transparency with followers"
The analysts also found that 76% of influencers hide their advertising deals. In 59% of the posts, the hashtags for disclosure were found in the middle of the text, in 24% only at the end. Five percent were found at the beginning of the content, twelve percent were even hidden in the comments.
Social media stars most frequently conceal the hashtag #advertisement. Only 20 percent of relevant posts displayed it openly. According to Awin, it is surprising that so many influencers are dishonest with their fans. "It's important to be completely transparent with followers," says Kevin Edwards, Global Strategy Director at Awin. (pte)
