What's the best way to ensure influencers disclose sponsored content?

If you work with influencers to promote your brand, product, or service, you need to make sure they disclose their relationship with you to their audience. This is not only ethical, but also required by law in many countries. Failing to do so can damage your reputation, harm your influencer's credibility, and expose you to legal risks. In this article, you'll learn what's the best way to ensure influencers disclose sponsored content on social media.

1 Know the rules

Different platforms and regions have different guidelines and regulations for disclosing sponsored content. For example, Instagram has a branded content tool that allows influencers to tag your business partner and add a "paid partnership" label to their posts and stories. YouTube requires influencers to check a box that says "this video contains paid promotion" and add a disclosure text or statement in the video or description. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US has a set of rules and examples for how to disclose sponsored content clearly and conspicuously on any online platform. You should familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to your target market and platform, and communicate them to your influencers.

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Mike Vannelli

Creative Director @ thinkenvy.com
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Securing proper influencer disclosures takes proactive policies and monitoring - like carefully inspecting product shipments for damage. Outline FTC compliance requirements in contracts. Provide eye-catching disclosure assets and copy. Review posts thoroughly pre-publish. Spot check periodically post-launch. With diligent care, your disclosures will withstand regulatory scrutiny. Now grab that influencer checklist! Let's ace compliant collaborations. ✅

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2 Set clear expectations

Before you start working with an influencer, you should have a written agreement that outlines your expectations and requirements for disclosing sponsored content. This can be part of your contract, brief, or guidelines. You should specify how and where the influencer should disclose the sponsorship, what language or hashtags they should use, and how often they should do it. You should also provide them with examples of good and bad disclosures, and explain the consequences of non-compliance. Make sure the influencer understands and agrees to your terms, and keep a record of your communication.

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Karan Khosla

Social Media Strategist | Branding | Organic Growth Strategist | Content Marketing | LinkedIn Strategist | Top Social Media Voice | Building InfoObjects Inc
(edited)
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Disclosing your sponsored content is not a crime, It's a way to build trust and credibility with time. Your audience will appreciate your honesty and transparency, And be more likely to engage with your content.

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Brandon Mimms

Entrepreneur; Co-Founder, CSO at MentalHealth.com 🚀
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Some influencers are unsure about disclosure practices and will have to be offered educational resources and guidance. This helps build a positive, informed relationship and ensures that expectations will be met. Some expectations to specify are the preferred language or hashtag for consistency, where the disclosure should appear (captions, stories, etc.), and the timing of the posts. Another very important expectation to communicate is the value of authenticity in the endorsements. Influencers should be encouraged to share their genuine experiences with the product or service.

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3 Monitor and measure

Once your influencer campaign is live, you should monitor and measure how your influencers are disclosing sponsored content. You can use tools like Hootsuite, BuzzSumo, or Mention to track and analyze your influencer's posts, stories, videos, and comments. You can also ask your influencers to send you screenshots or links of their disclosures. You should check if they are following your guidelines, using the appropriate labels or hashtags, and reaching their audience effectively. You should also look for any feedback or complaints from their followers or regulators about their disclosures. If you find any issues or violations, you should address them promptly and take corrective actions.

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Brandon Mimms

Entrepreneur; Co-Founder, CSO at MentalHealth.com 🚀
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Maintain consistent monitoring by applying the same standards to each partnership, resulting in a fair and transparent environment. Promptly update influencers on any changes in disclosure requirements to help them stay current and adjust their approach as needed. Also, regular audits should be scheduled to ensure influencers are following the agreed-upon disclosure practices. Implementing a good system for monitoring compliance is a trustworthy marketing strategy.

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4 Educate and motivate

One of the best ways to ensure influencers disclose sponsored content is to educate and motivate them. You should explain to them why disclosing sponsored content is important, not only for legal reasons, but also for building trust and loyalty with their audience. You should also show them how disclosing sponsored content can benefit them, such as increasing their engagement, reach, and conversions. You should also recognize and reward your influencers for disclosing sponsored content properly, such as by giving them feedback, incentives, or opportunities for future collaborations. By educating and motivating your influencers, you can create a positive and transparent relationship with them and their followers.

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5 Review and improve

Finally, you should review and improve your disclosure strategy regularly. You should evaluate the results and impact of your influencer campaign, and see how disclosing sponsored content affected your goals and metrics. You should also solicit feedback from your influencers, your audience, and your team, and see what worked and what didn't. You should also keep an eye on the changing trends and regulations in the influencer marketing industry, and update your guidelines and practices accordingly. By reviewing and improving your disclosure strategy, you can optimize your influencer campaign performance and reputation.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Ayo Ogunde🦄✨

Director, Strategy & Innovation
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Some best practices: - Clear Guidelines - Provide clear, concise guidelines, aligning with FTC regulations and local laws. - Contractual Obligations - Include disclosure requirements in legal contracts, with defined consequences for non-compliance. - Educate influencers about the importance of disclosure from an ethical and legal perspective. - Regularly monitor sponsored posts to ensure compliance, using manual checks or automated tools. - Transparency Tools - Encourage use of platform-specific features designed for sponsored content (like Instagram's "Paid partnership" tag). - Maintain an open line of communication for any questions or clarifications regarding disclosure requirements.

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What's the best way to ensure influencers disclose sponsored content?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Know the rules

2 Set clear expectations

3 Monitor and measure

4 Educate and motivate

5 Review and improve

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Media

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What's the best way to ensure influencers disclose sponsored content?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Know the rules

2 Set clear expectations

3 Monitor and measure

4 Educate and motivate

5 Review and improve

6 Here’s what else to consider

Social Media

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