Instagram’s new ad format lets creators get paid for testimonials in comments

Instagram is introducing a new way for creators to work with brands to make money by recommending products. On Thursday, Meta introduced an addition to its Partnership Ads called Testimonials, which allows creators to get paid via written endorsements, shared as comments on the brand’s social media posts and advertisements.

The new ad format is a move to monetize a practice that’s already taking place across social media.

Many brands today leverage paid commenters, or otherwise incentivize customers leaving positive reviews. For someone researching a new product, it can be difficult to tell who’s really a happy customer and who may be astroturfing in the comments section.

Adding a way for creators to self-identify as paid promoters could elevate the brand’s reception among that person’s followers while also being more transparent about the nature of the creator-brand relationship. While these are obviously paid endorsements, not organic, creators at least have to risk their own reputations by putting their names behind the given products. If they’re not selective about these recommendations, they can lose their followers’ trust.

Explains Meta, 40% of people now use creator recommendations on Instagram when shopping.

Via Partnership Ads, these recommendations have come in the form of branded content with a paid partnership label attached and even collab posts, which feature both the creator and brand’s handles as the post’s authors.

Testimonials, meanwhile, let creators to write short, under-125-character messages that tie back to the brand’s campaign or the product they’re advertising. To work, creators will send their written endorsement to the brand, and they’ll attach it to the correct ad.

The testimonials are then pinned to the top of the comments section on the Instagram post, giving the comments and creators behind them more visibility.

Creators will also be able track these testimonials and other Partnership Ads under their Creator Settings on the app so they can see how their content is being used and even pull their content, if ever warranted.