Why is it important to tag advertising on social networks?

In the dynamic environment of social networks, which is constantly changing and creating space for new, more modern marketing approaches, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish what is advertising and what is not. The problem of recognizing unmarked advertising is also confirmed by a survey conducted by Ipsos, a global leader in market research. And that is why in this article we will explain to you why it is important to tag advertising on social networks. Let's start from the beginning.

• By not tagging the ad, you are misleading your fans

• You can lose the trust of your fans and lose your community

• Unmarked advertising breaks the law

• You risk a heavy fine for untagged advertising

BY NOT MARKING THE AD, YOU ARE MISLEADING YOUR FANS

It is not easy for every user of social networks to recognize advertising on the Internet, which is also confirmed by British research. Last year, Ipsos conducted a survey marketin the UK, which aimed to find out how well consumers can identify advertising content on social networks. The survey results showed that:

1. On average, only 32% of respondents aged 18-64 identified ads from influencers without problems and with complete confidence.

2. Among the 8 different influencer ads examined, only 41% of respondents identified the ads without problems and with complete confidence, while all the ads in the survey were labeled e.g. #ad.

3. The lowest score for identification received ads that were not identified at all.

4. If the label was e.g. #ad in the middle of hashtags, it caused confusion among respondents.

What does that mean? Thanks to a British survey, we can say with certainty that it is not easy for users to recognize ads on social networks, so they should always be visibly marked.

YOU CAN LOSE THE TRUST OF FANS AND LOSE YOUR COMMUNITY

Another very important point is transparency and the ethical code of advertising, which both companies and influencers. As creators, you build a much more intimate and personal relationship with the community than companies do with the customer, and this is your great advantage and added value. Don't let your lack of transparency damage your relationship with your community.

Fans trust you and are willing to buy the products and services you recommend. . With such a powerful influence comes responsibility, which is why it is very important to be honest with your fans, value their trust and support and to approach all advertising ethically for example, in the form of advertising on social networks .

UNMARKED ADVERTISING BREAKS THE LAW

Let's do a quick legal window. Social networks like Instagram also fall under Slovak legislation, within which the two most important laws for us are Act on Advertising and Act on consumer protection. If you are involved in commercial collaborations as an influencer, you should master these two laws.

Let's look, for example, at the Consumer Protection Act. Among other things, this law prohibits unfair business practices, which are described in more detail directly in the Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic. These include hidden advertising, which is defined as:“The use of editorial space in the media to promote a product when the seller has paid for the sales promotion, without explaining it clearly identifiable for the consumer in the content or image or sound." (Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic, § 7 Unfair Business Practices)

So if a situation arises where you do not mark an advertisement on Instagram with an image or sound, it can be evaluated as a hidden advertisement, which is in the Collection of Laws of the Slovak Republic defined as an unfair business practice and a violation of the Consumer Protection Act. Both the advertiser (e.g. company, agency) and the intermediary (influencer) bear legal responsibility for violating the law. The legal consequence of breaking the law in this case is a fine.

Despite the fact that social networks fall under our legislation and it is possible to impose sanctions for violating it, we still see room for a more specific and clearer definition of the rules. publishing and tagging ads on social networks.

However, regardless of the shortcomings, it is extremely important to comply with existing laws, to correctly label advertisements and to avoid practices that could be in any way dubious or suspicious.

YOU CAN BE FINED FOR UNMARKED ADVERTISING

Although social networks can sometimes seem like an internet place where everything is allowed, this is not the case at all. Slovakian legislation applies to Instagram in the area of advertising.

This means that in the case of failure to mark the advertisement and violation of the Advertising Act or the Consumer Protection Act, the submitter (company) as well as the intermediary (influencer) may be fined up to €66,400, and for repeated violations of obligations within 12 months, the fine can go up to €166,000. Which, let's be honest, can be a windfall for an influencer. However, you can easily avoid a high fine by marking the advertisement.

HOW TO CORRECTLY TAG ADVERTISING ON INSTAGRAM?

HOW TO CORRECTLY MARK ADVERTISING ON YOUTUBE?

Now you know at least 3 reasons why social media tagging is important. No matter what social network you create, tagging a collaboration will only take a few seconds of your time, but you can help increase your own credibility, but most importantly, you won't break the law and mislead your fans. Let us know if something in the article surprised you, and if this blog post was helpful to you, help us spread this information by sharing it.