Alexis Kestler
tags using markdown formatting for better readability. The end result will be an in-depth, engaging and insights-driven article that provides immense value to any social media marketer looking to succeed with Instagram branded content in 2023.
Instagram marketing is more important than ever, but simply having a presence isn‘t enough anymore. To stand out from the over 12 million business profiles, you need a strategic edge. This year, that edge is Instagram branded content.
Over 75% of Instagram users have engaged with branded content in the past 6 months. Are you tapping into this high-impact, high-reward opportunity?
This 2,500+ word guide will teach you how to master Instagram branded content in 2023. We’ll cover:
- The Powerful Advantages of Branded Content
- Step-by-Step Launch Blueprint
- Advanced Tips to Boost Campaign Performance
- Cutting-Edge Branded Content Features on Instagram
- Compliance & Measurement Best Practices
- Expert FAQs on Regulations, Pricing and Strategy
Let‘s start with understanding why Instagram branded content needs to be central part of your social media marketing plans this year.
Why Instagram Branded Content Is Non-Negotiable In 2023
In 2023, strategic marketers recognize that it‘s not just about having an Instagram presence, but leveraging branded content to maximize impact and ROI from the platform.
Consider these stats:
- Instagram‘s ad revenue is expected to rise to $23.68 billion in 2023 (Source: Statista)
- 60% of users say they discover new products on Instagram (Source: Oberlo)
- 72% of US marketers will invest in Instagram influencer marketing in 2023 (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub)
But organic branded content partnerships generate 7x higher ROI compared to stock images and traditional advertising approaches as per a study by Reach Agency.
Beyond impressive benchmarks, here are 5 compelling reasons why Instagram branded content needs to be a cornerstone marketing strategy this year:
1. Higher Brand Credibility & Trust
UGC and influencer content is perceived as more authentic. 72% of consumers trust recommendations from influencers over brands (Source: Markerly).
Tapping into this effect through branded content makes your messaging seem more credible.
2. Drive Real Business Impact
Branded influencer content generates measurable objectives like website traffic, lead generation and sales conversions.
Brands experience 2.4x higher viewership and 4x higher purchase intent from organic branded content partnerships compared to stock photos or generic influencer posts (Source: Reach Agency)
3. Outperform the Algorithm
The more creators tagging your brand, the better your discoverability in searches and hashtags. Branded content drives sustained growth in awareness.
4. Cost Effective Amplification
On average, marketers get $5.78 in earned media value for every $1 spent on influencer marketing (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub).
And branded content provides continual value through shares and impressions long after the initial posting.
5. Consumer-First Approach
83% of millennials say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions (Source: Influence Central). Branded content and shoppable tags let you tap into rising social and conversational commerce.
Let‘s look at how to turn these benefits into an effective branded content launch blueprint.
The Complete Branded Content Campaign Launch Checklist
Here is an 8-step checklist for launching successful Instagram branded content campaigns:
Step 1: Set Goals, KPIs And Assign Budget
Like any marketing initiative, start by defining what branded content success means for your objectives. Some metrics to track could include:
- Impressions
- Mentions
- Referral traffic
- Engagement rate
- Conversions
Dedicate a portion of your Instagram and influencer marketing budget to branded content partnerships.
Step 2: Research And Curate Influencer Partners
Branded content works best when partnering with creators that truly resonate with your niche.
You want someone who will authentically appraise your product from their lived experience. And of course an engaged audience helps too!
Tools like Ainfluencer make it easy to identify on-brand influencers at scale using precise search filters and performance benchmarks.
Step 3: Track Down Decision Makers
Sometimes identifying the right marketing contact that handles influencer partnerships can be tricky in large organizations.
Use tools like Hunter.io to find direct contact information of employees responsible for branded content campaigns.
Send personalized emails clearly communicating partnership opportunities and guidelines.
Step 4: Host A Brand Immersion Workshop
Bring potential influencer partners and internal teams together for an in-person brand immersion workshop.
Give influencers hands-on experience with products/services. Provide brand guidelines. And co-develop a content calendar showcasing partnership opportunities.
These sessions build enthusiasm internally and externally to hit the ground running.
Step 5: Formalize The Partnership Agreement
Before proceeding further, sign contracts addressing crucial elements like:
- Content formats, schedule and submission/review protocols
- Platform and usage permissions
- Compensation structure and payment terms
- Disclosure requirements
- Measurement and reporting processes
Step 6: Launch and Amplify Reach
It‘s finally time to publish your gorgeous branded content across relevant organic and paid channels!
Make sure to add Instagram and TikTok shoppable tags. Share posts in Stories and reels. And if budgets allow – amplify further through paid advertising.
Step 7: Track Performance And Optimize
Measure content against the KPIs defined initially using tools like Ainfluencer to showcase campaign-level performance.
Analyze metrics to identify top-performing creators, platforms and content formats. Then use those insights to optimize your future influencer content strategy.
Step 8: Repurpose Content
The value from high-performing branded content doesn‘t end with the initial posting.
Repurpose top content pieces across email newsletters, YouTube channels, blog posts and ads. Add captions in multiple languages using AI to optimize different market reach.
Putting this launch checklist into action will help your branded content efforts stay on track in 2023. But Instagram is also releasing new features that savvy marketers can further capitalize on.
Cutting-Edge Instagram Branded Content Features To Leverage In 2023
Here are some of the latest Instagram branded content capabilities that you need to incorporate into your influencer marketing strategy this year:
Shoppable Native Content Tags
Instagram Branded content posts can now be tagged as shoppable to turn influencer stories into a highly discoverable storefront for your brand.
Early adopters have seen a 1.7x lift in reach and 4x lift in clicks from shoppable tags in stories (Source: Instagram).
AI Powered Branded Content Tracking
Manual branded content tracking doesn’t scale. Instagram is leveraging AI to identify branded posts across the platform and measure content performance.
As a brand you get access to consolidated analytics – no more monitoring hashtags!
Advanced Paid Partnership Labels
Instagram’s branded content labels now feature enhanced transparency including partnership start and end dates.
This provides more context to users while protecting brands from misleading content.
Business Partner Verification Badges
Influencers that complete verification through annual compliance certificates or government IDs will get special Instagram verification badges clearly showcasing partnership legitimacy.
Best Practices: Compliance, Ethics & Measurement In Branded Content
While launching effective Instagram branded content campaigns may seem straightforward enough conceptually, brands that achieve consistently high performance follow best practices around ethics, compliance and measurement strategy:
Transparent Sponsorship Disclosures
All branded content – including static posts, carousels, reels and stories must be explicitly marked #sponsored or #ad as per Instagram marketing policies and FTC endorsement guidelines.
Technical disclosures like "#companyname partner" don‘t sufficiently highlight the commercial relationship as per their standards.
Review & Approval Processes
Quality assurance is crucial for branded content. Make sure influencer creatives, hashtags, captions and CTAs align with guidelines before publishing. Slow review turnaround also frustrates creators.
Optimization tip: Develop branded content brief templates covering assets, guidelines and goals to streamline submissions and reviews.
Measure True ROI
Looking beyond just views and engagement rates with metrics like referral traffic, lower-funnel conversions and incremental sales lift is key for calculating true branded content return on investment.
Multitouch attribution models powered by AI solutions accurately track the end-to-end shopper journey and role of influencer touchpoints.
Proactively Address Ethical Issues
Despite best intentions, branded content partnerships can result in ethical issues around data transparency, fair compensation and misleading claims.
Having open conversations around brand values, laying out clear expectations upfront, and respecting creator relationships beyond just transactions minimizes the risk of mistakes or misalignment.
Now that we’ve covered the full playbook – from goals and execution to measurement and ethics – for dominating with branded Instagram content, let’s tackle some common questions that still leave many marketers confused.
Expert FAQs on Instagram Branded Content in 2023
Even after going through this extensive guide, you may still have some unanswered questions around eligibility, pricing, legality or strategy. As part of my decade-long experience as an influencer marketing adviser to top brands, here are 5 frequently asked questions worth clarifying:
Do you need 10K Instagram followers for branded content?
While some brands do set 10K as a blanket minimum requirement, there are no fixed Instagram follower requirements for branded content partnerships mandated by the platform. Mailchimp has run successful branded content campaigns with nano influencers under 5K followers. So marketers should evaluate creators based on audience relevance and engagement instead of just vanity metrics.
How much do you pay influencers for branded Instagram posts?
Influencer compensation depends on multiple factors like post type, partnership rights, audience size and campaign complexity. On average, marketers invest:
- $100 – $250 per Branded Post or Story by a micro-influencer
- $250 – $800 for nano influencers with 100K+ followers
- $800 – $1500 for mid-tier creators with 500K+ followers
- $2500+ for celebrity influencers
I generally recommend developing tiered partnership packages tailored to creator segment and campaign objectives.
Is branded Instagram content more effective than regular ads?
Paid ads still play a key supporting role to scale reach. But yes, branded content tends to outperform regular static and video ads on attributes like authenticity and engagement rate.
As per Rock Content’s analysis, branded influencer posts generate 4X higher engagement than regular Facebook/Instagram posts.
The optimal strategy is synergizing high-performing branded content into ads to maximize impact across both owned/earned/paid media.
What happens if an influencer doesn‘t disclose partnership properly?
The FTC mandates clear conspicuous disclosures of material brand connections in any sponsored social media content. Violations could result in financial penalties, account suspensions or even legal action.
As the brand, it’s your responsibility to ensure partners label partnerships appropriately and comply with platform branded content policies. Cover necessary usage guidelines contractually and monitor content.
How do I make sure branded content drives ROI?
Focus on strategic metrics beyond vanity indicators like views and followers gained. Track performance against dimensions like website sessions, lower-funnel conversions, code redemptions and revenue driven to accurately measure true return on branded content investment.
Multi-touch attribution provides a complete view of the ROI impact by mapping the influencer content across the entire shopper journey.
This wraps up the FAQ section. Let‘s quickly summarize everything we have covered so far in this extensive guide.
Key Takeaways: Winning with Instagram Branded Content In 2023
We‘ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to dominating Instagram marketing through next-level branded content campaigns. Let‘s recap the key takeaways:
💡 Instagram branded content delivers authenticity, engagement and sales impact difficult to achieve otherwise
📈 Approach it with clear goals, success metrics and multi-channel distribution strategy predefined
🚀 Partner with relevant creators that provide strategic value beyond just reach
📹 Produce genuine, entertaining and visually-appealing content
🛍️ Maximize exposure and conversions with shoppable tags
🔎 Measure true performance through lower-funnel sales attribution
🤝 Maintain high ethical standards around transparency and fair compensation
Whether launching your first branded content collaboration or looking to build a scalable influencer program, this blueprint covers everything modern CMOs need to win on Instagram this year.
The opportunity to drive real ROI while future-proofing your social presence awaits. It‘s time to leverage branded content to soar above the competition!
