Influencer marketing is a hybrid of old and new marketing
tools. Essentially it takes the idea of a celebrity endorsement and merges it
into a new, modern social media space.
But it’s not only celebrities
who are influencers these days.
In fact, they can be almost anyone because it’s not how well
known they are to the general public that matters, it’s how influential they
are within your audience. An influencer can be a popular fashion photographer
on Instagram, or a well-read cybersecurity blogger, or a respected marketing
executive on LinkedIn. Within any industry, there are influential people – you just
have to find them and find out what type of promotions they might be
comfortable working with you on and for how much.
Working with influencers isn’t just about striking a deal
though, as there are some regulations that influencers and companies need to be
aware of, including the FTC requirement that paid influencers disclose their
advertorial relationship with the brand they are promoting.
If you’re interested in working with influencers, keep reading to find out the best ways to
protect your business when participating in influencer campaigns.
#1 Use Built-In
Disclosure Tools
One positive result from the efforts of the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) to increase transparency is that some of the best-known and
most-used social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube) now provide tools
to help marketers comply with existing disclosure rules.
Using these tools can drastically simplify compliance
efforts while also giving you peace of mind.
Instagram – In
March 2017, Instagram launched a “Paid Partnership with [business partner]” tag
that makes it easier for creators to highlight sponsored posts in their feeds.
You can find this tool in the Advanced Settings section when
creating a post with your Instagram Business Account.
Facebook – Facebook
has similar branded content policies and tools to help simplify the disclosure
process for marketers and creators. The first step for marketers is to ask
creator partners to request access to Facebook’s Branded Content Tool. They
can go to this link to initiate the process.
From there, Facebook lets businesses, creators, and
partners tag branded
content a number of ways, depending on the post type and business goal.
You can read the full branded content tagging guidelines in this comprehensive Facebook FAQ.
YouTube – YouTube
now allows you to add an optional
text disclosure statement to any video campaign. If you’re working with
a YouTube influencer, ask the influencer to go to their video manager in
Creator Studio to complete the process.
Here are the steps
they need to follow:
First, click the Edit button for the video asset that
requires a sponsored content disclosure. On the Info and Settings tab, click
Advanced Settings below the video.
Look for the Content Declaration section at the bottom right
and check the box if the video contains paid promotion.
While these built-in tools may be a little extra work to set
up, having them helps you to avoid any FTC disclosure issues.
#2 If No Formal Tool
Exists, Follow Best Practices
If there is no formal tool for a platform, try your best to
ensure that disclosure is clear with these best practices.
Hashtags – While
no hashtag can equate to an official disclosure, according to the FTC, #ad or
#sponsored are the preferred hashtags for sponsored content campaigns.
Brand Tag – The
influencer should always tag the brand account if the social channel allows it.
This is not only good to send people back to your account, but it also fully
discloses the exact account in which the influencer is sponsored by.
Early Disclosure
– Don’t hide the disclosure at the bottom of a long post. Keep disclosures up
at the top of a post and when possible.
#3 Follow the Latest
Guidelines
The internet and marketing is always changing, so the best
way to ensure you stay compliant is by staying up-to-date on the latest
guidelines from the FTC and beyond.
While a number of groups are working on this transparency
issue, one of the newest is the Influencer Marketing Council (IMC). It’s
a constellation of agencies that hopes to negotiate directly with social media
platforms and the FTC as they continue to formalize future rules for sponsored
social campaigns.
In the U.S., the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is
involved with disclosure rules for sponsored campaigns. Last summer, it convened a working group to develop
recommendations related to the practice.
Lastly, the FTC’s What People Are Asking page is another
great resource for marketers and business owners looking for answers. In
addition to reiterating the best practices outlined above, you can find guidance on more complicated influencer
situations like social media contests, online review programs, and more.
Conclusion
Influencer campaigns are becoming a huge marketing tool for
many of the world’s biggest brands. However, because the tactic is still
relatively new, it’s very easy for marketers partnering with them to run into
issues that could result in legal and financial penalties.
The FTC recently settled its first legal case against
influencers Trevor Martin and Thomas Cassell, and the organization has also
been sending a growing number of warning letters to other prominent social
users.
Take the time to protect your business if you plan on using
influencer marketing by following the tips laid out in this article.
*Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice
and is for educational purposes only.