Influencers who fail to disclose ads are ‘tarnishing industry and brands’

Artwork depciting a social media influencer.

Influencers and digital creators who fail to disclose adverts and commercial content within their posts are damaging an industry which has managed to shake off the “wild-west” tags of the past.

That’s the view of influencer marketing agency, Disrupt, following a European Union study released this week, which shows that four out of five influencers on social media fail to disclose commercial content, as required under EU and UK law.

Stevie Johnson, MD of...

22 February 2024 | Advertising

Brands spent a £71bn on influencer ads in five years

Over the past years, influencers have become one of the top choices for social media marketers, providing brands an opportunity to reach millions of potential users practically overnight. The rising popularity of influencers has boosted the total spending in this market to record highs.

According to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io, brands have spent a whopping $90bn (£71bn) on influencer ads in the past five years.

Ad Spending in the Influencer Market Skyrocketed by...

15 August 2023 | Advertising

Sprout Social acquires Tagger Media

Sprout Social, a provider of social media management software, has acquired Tagger Media, an influencer marketing and social intelligence platform.

This acquisition will further establish Sprout as the leader in the social media software market with a comprehensive platform that empowers brands to execute a holistic social strategy at scale.

Justyn Howard, Sprout Social’s CEO and co-founder, said: “As influencer marketing has changed the way brands build awareness...

15 August 2023 | Influencer Marketing

Chinese, US and UK brands generate two-thirds of total influencer ad spending

The influencer advertising industry has skyrocketed by a massive 330% over the past five years, becoming one of the leading online marketing channels.

With budgets growing fast and marketers seeing strong returns, the entire market is expected to increase by another 17% year-over-year and hit a $30.8bn value in 2023. Most of that value will come from only countries.

According to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io, Chinese, US, and UK brands will generate around $22.7bn or...

1 June 2023 | Advertising

HypeAuditor launches custom influencer Media Kit Platform

HypeAuditor, the AI social media analytics platform for brands who want fair and transparent influencer marketing, has launched HypeAuditor Media Kits, a free service that quickly and easily generates custom media kits for influencers to distribute to brands and agencies – at zero cost to the creator. 

In a recent survey of 254 Instagram influencers, based globally, with more than 1,000 followers, HypeAuditor found that there is a strong demand for media kits amongst...

3 January 2023 | Social Media Marketing

Room Unlocked, Alex Payne: Authenticity and purpose in influencer marketing

Alex Payne, Room Unlocked's co-founder, discusses the future of influencer marketing and how it can successfully form part of an overall marketing strategy.

Could you tell us a little bit about what the company does?

Well, several of our clients have described us as a cross between Tinder and LinkedIn, which we quite like. Room Unlocked facilitates partnerships between interesting brands and celebrities and influencers - but our point of difference is that it is all mutually...

12 September 2022 | Advertising

3 in 5 Brits regret their social media influenced spending

Facebook has been named the most influential social media platform for Brits’ buying habits, new research has discovered.

Survey data from FCA-regulated credit broker Little-Loans.com has lifted the lid on how social media impacts Brits’ buying habits which, in turn, can aid companies’ marketing efforts.

A nationally representative survey of 2,000 Brits found that Facebook is the social media platform that leads to the most sales.

Participants detailed...

11 May 2022 | Advertising

Just 6% of consumers believe they are swayed by influencers

Artwork depciting a social media influencer.

Despite influencer marketing continuing to dominate across both online and increasingly offline channels, only 6% of consumers globally are swayed by influencers or celebrity endorsements when choosing which retail channel to use when making a purchase.

This is according the latest OpSec Security Consumer Barometer trust index, which found that even among 18- to 24-year-olds, the so-called ‘digital generation,’ influencers only make their mark on 12% of consumers, with the...

22 November 2021 | Influencer Marketing

ISBA launches Code of Conduct for influencer marketing

A camera and bottle of perfume next to a smartphone.

The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) has launched a Code of Conduct for influencer marketing, aimed at raising standards, smoothing relationships between industry participants, and delivering transparency for consumers.

The Code has been driven by ISBA members who wanted to address the negative issues surrounding influencer marketing. It was designed in collaboration with representatives from talent agencies and a group of influencers – and the aim is that it...

27 September 2021 | Best Practice

Everyday social media influencers grow in popularity

A man and woman covered in paint and holding paint brushes.

The everyday social media user has become the preferred influencer to follow for more than half of consumers (56%). 

Whether it is friends, family, peers, or wider networks, those that share day-to-day content, products, and places that they find a genuine interest in, without an agenda to promote, are now the most trusted source for authentic and genuine content for two in five consumers (38%).

The findings come from a study by Bazaarvoice, a provider of product...

17 August 2021 | Influencer Marketing