{"id":2657,"date":"2025-02-24T22:45:07","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T22:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2025-02-25T22:28:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T22:28:25","slug":"instagrams-new-ad-format-pays-creators-to-comment-on-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/social\/instagrams-new-ad-format-pays-creators-to-comment-on-posts\/","title":{"rendered":"Instagram\u2019s New Ad Format Pays Creators to Comment On Posts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Instagram is <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/20\/instagrams-new-ad-format-lets-creators-get-paid-for-testimonials-in-comments\/\">rolling out<\/a> a new ad format called <a href=\"https:\/\/creators.instagram.com\/blog\/introducing-partnership-ads\">Testimonials<\/a>, allowing brands to pay creators to leave endorsements in the comment section of their posts. Instead of producing full videos or photo content, creators can now write short, 125-character testimonials as a paid collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal? Make influencer partnerships more seamless by integrating them directly into the conversation. But let\u2019s be real\u2014this has the potential to go south fast. If these paid comments feel inauthentic, consumers will see right through them, and brands risk getting roasted instead of gaining trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXed_7SCtYbGFlcZ0S8mcAhX6LFIEuzcBwDZUsmzbkbDRBJqcepMkBax0VJgUVXiH6t0cKQRTEdRc5ZTmSClXV29nWuxRsi22Px65SWIMLNu_2bdyikPcyu7l7wEy-YdTgepYla_ZA?key=k9Ra49rpgTaXQPCcfMQoLaxf\" width=\"593\" height=\"565\"><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Via Instagram<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Happening?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram\u2019s new Testimonials ad format allows brands to sponsor creator comments, putting short-form paid endorsements directly into post discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Creators get paid to drop &#8220;authentic&#8221; comments:<\/strong> Up to 125 characters, designed to look like organic engagement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aimed at reducing content production time:<\/strong> Instead of full campaigns, creators can promote products quickly and frequently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hopes to build trust:<\/strong> By placing influencer recommendations where real conversations happen, Instagram is banking on this feeling more natural than traditional ads.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sounds smart in theory, but here\u2019s where it could go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXeBRIcTade9F--lD_tTh7Rn0Zw8KuOg6xlsMnwzBL1Al9PHrYc7XAHKr5EXlNWT7mLA_v8KpeJ_26R3pssKcSsHIFwcz_Thmktp2VYG2XguJWaBmMjaOBi9Dn3IpExxXOxHhKIPJQ?key=k9Ra49rpgTaXQPCcfMQoLaxf\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Via VlogUp<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How It Affects You<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram is betting that people trust recommendations from creators they follow, even in the comments. But there are some big risks here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Does a text comment actually add value?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>We\u2019ve seen comment seeding for years\u2014fake engagement designed to make posts look more popular than they really are. How is this any different? If people catch on that brands are paying for comment sections to be filled with fluff, this could hurt credibility more than it helps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Timing Couldn\u2019t Be Worse<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Right now, we\u2019re seeing retail strikes, consumer boycotts, and growing pushback against expensive goods.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paying influencers to comment on posts feels completely out of touch. People are already skeptical of big brands, and if they sense that companies are just stuffing their comment sections with paid testimonials, it\u2019s going to look desperate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If these comments feel fake, brands will get torched:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The internet isn\u2019t forgiving when brands get caught trying too hard. If these comments come across as forced or insincere, expect callouts, memes, and a whole lot of backlash. Consumers can spot inauthenticity a mile away, and once a brand loses trust, it\u2019s not easy to win it back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This could be a powerful tool if used correctly, but brands need to tread carefully to avoid looking like they\u2019re just stuffing their comment sections with paid fluff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Brands Should Do<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re considering testing out Testimonials, make sure you have a game plan so you don\u2019t get caught looking desperate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Choose Creators Wisely: <\/strong>Don\u2019t just pay influencers for generic hype. Work with trusted voices who can actually speak to the product\u2019s value in a natural way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep It Subtle &amp; Authentic: <\/strong>If a comment feels forced, scripted, or overly promotional, it will stick out like a sore thumb\u2014and not in a good way.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitor Consumer Reactions Closely: <\/strong>If people start roasting your paid comments, adjust fast. This format is brand new, and consumers will test it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Test Before Scaling Up: <\/strong>Try it on low-risk posts first, see how the audience reacts, and gauge whether it actually helps engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Instagram is trying to make influencer marketing feel more organic, but paying people to comment is a risky move. If done well, this could help brands build trust through creator recommendations. But if it feels fake, expect backlash, not conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking about testing this out, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/book-your-call\">let\u2019s talk first<\/a>. We\u2019ll help you make sure your brand isn\u2019t the next one getting flamed for fake engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Instagram is rolling out a new ad format called Testimonials, allowing brands to pay creators to leave endorsements in the comment section of their posts. Instead of producing full videos or photo content, creators can now write short, 125-character testimonials as a paid collaboration. The goal? Make influencer partnerships more seamless by integrating them directly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":2658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,22,4],"tags":[],"thumbnail_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/big-Untitled-design-17-300x225.png","thumbnail_medium_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/big-Untitled-design-17.png","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/big-Untitled-design-17.png","author_avatar_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/john1.webp","author_name":"John Vickery","category_labels":["Creative","News","Social"],"tag_labels":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2657"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2669,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2657\/revisions\/2669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}