Any brands out there considering making use of influencers to help them spread the word about their goods and services may want to take a bit of care in this regard, as one in four complaints relating to online advertising made to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last year had to do with sponsored influencer posts.
Data from the advertising regulator shows an increased awareness among members of the general public about what influencers are allowed to do, as well as the fact that the ASA is now clamping down on misleading sponsored content, or that which has been poorly labelled, over the last year, The Drum reports.
In the last 12 months, the ASA has handed down warnings to numerous influencers and brand partners over ads that have been deemed unclear or misleading. And in September last year, it was recommended that sponsored posts should come with #ad included to help people see what was paid-for content.
Guy Parker, ASA chief executive, said: “Harnessing innovative technology to tackle misleading or irresponsible ads is playing a big part in helping us deliver more effective regulation for consumers and business.
“And we have some exciting plans ahead, including investment in data science and machine learning. All of which is enabling us to be more proactive and fleet of foot in delivering our ambition to make UK ads responsible, wherever they appear.”
The regulator also joined forces with the Competition and Markets Authority in February of this year to produce a guide to ad labelling and disclosure on social media, which businesses may well find of use.
If you’re new to influencer marketing and aren’t sure where to start, your first step should be to sit down and do some research to find the people with a big online presence who are most relevant to your brand and industry… otherwise, you’ll likely find that talking to them and enlisting their services is something of a wasted effort, one that won’t deliver the results you want.
There are different types of influencer marketing that you may like to try so you can work out which ones are the best for you and your business. It may well be that influencers linking to your products or services, or producing a blog post about you on their site, could be the most effective strategy.
Or you could see about them going to events where they promote your brand in person. This could be discussing you and what you do during a workshop, chatting to prospective customers during an exhibition or trade show, or simply wearing items of clothing with your brand name or goods and services displayed.
Of course, you also need to make sure that your website is in tiptop shape if you want to maximise your sales – so get in touch with 2bcreative if you need any help with website design in Scotland.
