Instagram Adds New Creator Tools for Influencer Marketing, Reels, and Live

On Friday, Instagram had some good news and some bad news for brands and creators.

Creation: Advertisers can now post from an influencer’s account directly, removing a lot of the friction involved with influencer marketing. Here’s how it works.

• “1) Advertiser sends request for Ad Creation Access, 2) Creator accepts Ad Creation Access 3) Creator receives notification of the created ad for their approval,” per Instagram Business.

Disclosure: Instagram also unveiled branded content tags for Reels and Instagram Live, expanding creator revenue options. Sounds like some TikTok creator fund competition, no?

Why it matters: “Short-term, these moves are a win for creators and brands,” Senior Director of Influencer Marketing at SeatGeek Ian Borthwick told Marketing Brew. “Long-term, Instagram is increasing [itself] as a gatekeeper to [the] $10 billion influencer marketing industry, which should scare both creators and brands.”

+1: Borthwick also pointed out that the updates kind of view “influencers as just a handle to run ads through, which may further reduce trust between [the] influencer and their audience.”