Instagram has managed to attain a credible spot among the platforms that have been contributing to social media marketing practices. Integrating a creative and powerful Instagram marketing strategy for your business with the help of an Instagram management tool can help small businesses and brands thrive better.

But what if you are doing it all and still failing to make the best use of the platform?

Maybe, your Instagram marketing strategy is missing out on the inclusion of Instagram-branded content, and here is why the results are disappointing. So, get on the seat and begin binge-reading this exclusive guide covering all about the trick of having a lot of benefits in store for business marketers.

Instagram Branded Content: Definition & Concept

The first basic question is; what is it all about?

Well, in general, Instagram-branded content is defined as the content posted on the platform showcasing/promoting the usage of a product/service from a particular brand as a part of a paid partnership or collaboration with the involved company.

The concept works well for brands and companies that have a major chunk of their target audience on Instagram. They can partner with influencers and creators, convincing them to collaborate and create content for the brand. However, Instagram has made it mandatory for the creators to tag the relevant brand or business partner when posting branded content while using a creator, personal, or business account.

Hence, according to Instagram, any content for which the creator is compensated with something of value is called branded content.

Instagram Branded Content for Business

Branded content on Instagram wins because the influencers utilize the brand or service with an emotional impact that depicts a story rather than a cliche sponsored ad. Hence, the concept is a win-win strategy for businesses to capture an emotional interest and sense of trust from the audience.

Another important aspect of Instagram branded content is the fact that it does not appear as a sponsored ad. Instead, it will appear as a general post made by the creator to extend your brand’s reach by putting it in front of a new set of audience, aka the followers of your partnered content creator.

Additionally, potential shoppers on Instagram can explore a variety of options for their desired products with the help of branded content on Instagram. Meta insights suggest that brand-led communications have a greater impact on the shopping journeys of people. A survey addressing the benefits of branded content on Instagram drove results implying that new products and services were discovered by 42% of people and a product or service research by 41% of people.

As a result, branded content on Instagram appeared as a narrator of the vision and voice of a brand.

Hence, with the influencer market size to grow up to an expected number of 22.2 billion dollars by the year 2025, there is great room for businesses to grow better by executing influencer marketing techniques and brand collaborations with content influencers.

Eligibility Criteria to Use Instagram Branded Content Tools

To kick-start the posting of branded content for your business, it is important to align yourself with the branded content policies of Instagram. In most cases, creators are required to use Instagram-branded content tools to post brand-based content. However, access to the tools is a bit complex to attain.

Instagram-branded content tools are available for certain pages in certain regions at this time.  Users must meet the following major eligibility guidelines to use Instagram-branded content tools best.

1. Content creators/publishers must own a creator or business account to post content. Brands or companies who are partnering must have a business account to be tagged as a partner.
2. You must use the paid partnership label of Instagram while posting branded content.
3. Certain products or services may not be promoted as branded content. Those are the prohibited product types by Instagram.
4. You must follow branded content policies and partner monetization policies by Instagram.
5. You must stay compliant with community guidelines and content monetization policies by Instagram.

Summing it up, once you are well-versed with these guidelines and all the ins and outs surrounding a benefitting execution of Instagram branded content, you will be all set to access Instagram branded content tools.

Guide to Creating Branded Content on Instagram

Next up are the steps to help you begin with the creation of branded content on Instagram, ideally by setting up Instagram branded content tools for your account.

1. Open Instagram Settings.
2. Choose the account type, whether it is a creator or a business.
3. Select Branded Content option.
4. Enable the Branded Content Tools.
5. Give a quick read of the guidelines and tips.
6. Enable the option.

After getting access to use branded content tools for the collaboration, you can upload the content by setting up a few more necessary settings. However, the procedures might differ for reels, feed posts, stories, and live broadcasts. Let us have an in-depth look at each of them one by one.

How to Create Instagram Branded Content on Feed Posts

Beginning with the Instagram feed, here are a few steps that can lead you to the creation of Instagram-branded content on feed posts.

1. Create a general Instagram post and add filters, captions, or anything else you like.
2. Tap Advanced Settings.
3. Go to the Branded Content, and tap to toggle on Add paid partnership label.
4. Add the brand partners you are collaborating with. You can choose up to two brand partners. Search their accounts from within the search bar and tag them.
5. If you want your brand partner to run ads using your branded content for them, toggle on the ‘Allow brand partner to promote’ option. However, the post can not be promoted if you have added two brand partners.
6. If you have nothing more to add, tap Done.

Now your branded content is ready to be shared on the feed.

How to Create Instagram Branded Content on Stories

With more than 500 million daily active story users on Instagram, influencers create branded content on the stories as well, including shout-outs to specific outreaches, giveaways in collaborations, and unboxing of PR packages.

Here is how you can post Instagram-branded content on stories.

1. Choose the photo or video you want to post on the story.
2. Tap the tag icon at the top of the screen.
3. Toggle on the ‘Add paid partnership label.’
4. Add the brand partners you are collaborating with. You can choose up to two brand partners. Search their accounts from within the search bar and tag them.
5. Lastly, you can give access to the promotion of the stories to the partnering brand in the same way you did for feed posts.

Related Article: 20+ Cool Instagram Story Ideas to Revamp Post Engagement in 2023

How to Create Instagram Branded Content on Reels/Videos

There is no coming back once you begin marketing through Instagram reels. They bring engagement to the business,  help target a relevant audience and have potential virality. Video transitions are one of the most popular reel types for showcasing specific products of a brand.

Below are the steps to follow.

1. Create an engaging reel or video showcasing the brand you are collaborating with.
2. Go to Advanced Settings.
3. Turn the Add paid partnership label toggle on.
4. Select the brand partners to add to your reels. Remember to choose no more than two partners.

And you are done. Your brand-based reel is ready to roll on!

Related Article: What Is the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram in 2023

How to Create Instagram Branded Content on Live Broadcast

You can also promote branded content on Instagram through live sessions and broadcasts.

1. As soon as you go live, tap the “Details” Option.
2. Select the option of ‘Add brand partners’ and find them in the search bar. Remember to get approval from brands you are willing to tag within Instagram live, or else you will not be able to mention them.
3. Click on the name of the brand you want to add, and they will be tagged in your session.

How to Use Instagram Branded Content Tools for Business

As an Instagram business manager, if you comply with all the guidelines to access branded content tools, you can promote your brands and services using the Instagram tools and ensure a massive product showdown on the platform.

Instagram allows brands and creators to use branded content tools on Instagram if they meet the mandatory guidelines and have enabled the relevant settings.

How to Use Instagram Branded Content Tools for Creators

As a creator, the following are the steps you need to execute in order to make the best use of Instagram-branded content tools.

1. Set up branded content tools for your account as described above.
2. After uploading the content for the post, go to the ‘Advanced Settings’ option and tag your business partner.

Get Permission for Branded Content on Instagram

Well, Instagram is quite a lot about permissions. If you want to tag business partners while you promote Instagram-branded content, you need to take their permission in prior. Reach out to the business and request permission.

How to Use Instagram Branded Content Tools for Brands

The following are the settings to maintain for brands to use Instagram branded content tools.

Apply for Facebook Brands Collab Manager

1. Apply for Facebook Brands Collab Manager as a creator or a business. This tool will help you search for relevant content creators and create branded content ads on Instagram from posts that you have been tagged in.
2. After you are approved by the tool, you can use it to create content for Instagram brands. You can also search for insights into your collaboration to evaluate the performance of your paid partnership.

Enable Branded Content Approvals

Even if you have not enabled branded content tools yet, you can still access them through your partner tagging you in a branded content post. You only need to enable the ‘Branded Content Approvals’ option in your account settings.

Control Your Branded Content Tags

Branded content tags allow creators to tag you in their Instagram-branded content posts. Turning them on allows the creators to tag you within posts without any review.

You can also review the Tag requests waiting for approval in your settings. The approved business partners will also appear in a list so that you can review them anytime.

Promote Instagram Branded Content Ads

Make the best use of your Instagram-branded content and run promotional ads within the platform to generate potential customers and drive sales.

Follow the steps demonstrated below.

1. Go to your Facebook Business Page.
2. Open the ads manager to create an ad.
3. Since Instagram-branded content can only be used for brand awareness, reach, traffic, engagement, conversions, video views, and App installs, pick the best-suited objective.
4. Fill in other information required, such as target audience, budget, schedule, etc.
5. As soon as you see the ad option. Click on the ‘Use existing post option. Then select Branded Content. Next, you will see the branded content posts and stories that you have been tagged in by a creator.
6. Select the post you want to run as an ad. Preview the ad placements to see how they will appear on the desktop and mobile feeds.
7. Once you are satisfied with all the attributes of the ad, press Confirm.

Use Social Champ for Instagram Business

Integrate Social Champ within your Instagram business accounts and manage branded content on Instagram with maximum ease and convenience.

The tool offers an efficient Instagram scheduler that can manage all your content scheduling and maintain the consistency of your accounts. You can also directly post single and multiple image posts on business accounts with the help of the content publishing API within the Instagram scheduler. Moreover, you can also edit and create videos from in-app third-party integrations. Performance measuring is also available with the help of Instagram analytics at your service.

Hence, Social Champ can do it all for your Instagram business accounts, providing you with the best opportunities to create and promote branded content on Instagram and enjoy a tremendous business boost.

Related Article: How to Use Instagram for Business to Boost Sales

Summarizing!

Instagram-branded content is a great way to promote your brand or service through influencers and creators. With influencers adding a unique perspective and emotional element to the content story showcasing the brand, it is very likely that more than a few people will get attracted to the brand’s ideology and vision. Hence, you will be welcoming massive outreach and potential leads for your business.

So, to make the most out of branded Instagram content, begin using the right tools and improve your marketing strategy. Incorporate unique ideas, collaborate with relevant influencers, and maximize your efforts as much as possible.

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