Instagram Adds Branded Content Tag to Reels

Instagram revealed several updates related to branded content on its platform Friday, highlighted by the rollout of the branded content tag on Reels and the start of testing of that tag on Instagram Live in the coming weeks. The Facebook-owned photo- and video-sharing network said in a blog post Friday, referring to the branded content tag, “We want to ensure that creators can clearly disclose when they’re creating branded content, no matter what format they choose to use.” The tag debuted Friday on Reels, and testing on Instagram Live will follow shortly. Instagram added the ability for brands to run branded content posts as ads in June 2019,.but those ads could only be created by promoting existing posts from creators. The platform rolled out a new workflow Friday that lets advertisers create branded content ads without having to post organically first, allowing for more flexibility. Creators can approve or pause any ads published from their handles. The new workflow is: The advertiser sends a request for ad creation access.The creator accepts ad creation access, with a notification sent to the advertiser upon acceptance.The creator receives notification of the created ad for their approval. Branded content ads in Stories can now include tappable elements, such as hashtags, location and @mentions, in order to give brands access to organic Stories creative that is native and authentic to the experience. Businesses will soon be able to promote branded content posts with product tags, which is not currently possible. Instagram said in its blog post, “More and more, people are shopping directly from the creators they love on Instagram. This new ad format is another way brands can provide a seamless shopping experience on Instagram. This new format will begin testing in the coming months.” Finally, as revealed in October, businesses and creators can set a minimum age for branded content feed posts. Account holders can choose to set a default minimum age, set a minimum age for specific countries, or create a combination of both options. Instagram chief operating officer Justin Osofsky said in a statement, “Creators push culture forward and signal what’s next, which is why people are increasingly turning to them for inspiration. Branded content is a powerful tool for creators and businesses, and these updates will help them get more out of the content they’re creating together. This will continue to be an area of focus for us as we build out a suite of monetization tools that support creators’ various needs and ambitions.”