What is a Sponsored Post on Instagram? A Complete Guide for 2022

Sponsored posts have become an extremely popular form of marketing on Instagram. As one of the largest social media platforms with over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram offers tremendous opportunities for brands to connect with potential customers.

But with so much content being shared, standing out can be a challenge. This is where sponsored posts come in. By paying Instagram influencers or boosting your own content, you can make sure your posts are seen by a wider audience.

In this complete guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about Instagram sponsored posts including

What is a Sponsored Post?

A sponsored post on Instagram is any post that a brand pays to promote or boost. There are two main types of sponsored posts:

• Influencer Sponsored Posts: This is when a brand pays an influencer or content creator to promote their product or service through an Instagram post. The influencer tags the brand and discloses it as a paid partnership.

• Promoted/Boosted Brand Posts: Brands can pay Instagram to boost their own organic posts and reach larger audiences. These posts will be labeled as “Sponsored” or “Promoted.”

Both options allow brands to get their content and products in front of larger, targeted audiences on Instagram. Sponsored influencer posts tap into the influencer’s follower base, while boosted brand posts expand the reach of brands’ owned content.

Why Do Brands Use Sponsored Posts?

There are a few key reasons why brands leverage sponsored posts on Instagram:

• Expanded Reach: Paying to boost posts allows brands to get content in front of new audiences that don’t already follow them. This helps grow brand awareness and find potential new customers.

• Increased Engagement: Sponsored posts generally drive higher engagement in the form of likes, comments, and shares compared to organic content. Users are more likely to engage with sponsored posts in their feed.

• Driving Conversions: Brands can link to products, landing pages, or offers within sponsored posts to directly drive conversions and sales. The posts appear more frequently in-feed, increasing the chances of users seeing them and taking action.

• Leveraging Influencers: Partnering with relevant influencers gives brands access to new audiences in an authentic way. Influencers provide social proof and credibility.

Benefits for Influencers

So why should influencers agree to do sponsored posts? There are benefits for them as well:

• Monetary Compensation: Influencers can generate revenue by working with brands on sponsored content partnerships. Rates vary based on follower count and typical engagement.

• Free Products: Some brands will send free product samples rather than monetary payment in exchange for sponsored content. The influencer gets to try out new products relevant to their audience.

• Relationship Building: Long-term partnerships with brands can be lucrative for influencers. Sponsored posts help build these relationships early on.

• Increased Exposure: Properly disclosed sponsored posts appear more frequently in followers’ feeds, increasing an influencer’s exposure and helping them reach new audiences.

How Much do Sponsored Posts Cost on Instagram?

For brands looking to partner with influencers, sponsored post prices vary depending on the influencer’s following and engagement rates. As a benchmark, influencers typically charge:

• 25k-50k followers: $800-$1,500 per post
• 50k-100k followers: $1,500-$2,000 per post
• 100k-250k followers: $2,000-$5,000 per post
• 250k-1M followers: $5,000-$10,000 per post
• 1M+ followers: $10,000+ per post

Nano-influencers with under 10k followers often accept free product in exchange for posts, or charge $50-$200. Prices can also vary based on additional requirements like story posts, longer-term deals, etc.

For promoted brand posts, Instagram ad pricing is based on an auction system. Average costs per ad run around $1.50 per 1,000 impressions. Cost per click averages $.80-.90 on the platform.

How to Find Brand Partnerships

If you’re an influencer looking to land brand partnerships, here are some tips:

• Create high-quality, on-brand content: Post consistently with a consistent aesthetic. Brands want to see you’re invested in creating great content already.

• Understand your audience: Analyze your audience demographics like age, location, gender. This info helps match you with brands they will respond to.

• Use relevant hashtags and geotags: Use niche hashtags and location tags to get discovered by brands targeting your followers.

• Tag relevant brands: Organically tag brands you love to get on their radar for potential partnerships.

• List contact info in bio: Add your email or website so brands can reach out about sponsorships.

• Pitch brands: Don’t wait to be discovered. Proactively pitch yourself to brands that are a good fit. Start small before reaching out to larger brands.

Creating Sponsored Posts on Instagram

Once a partnership is secured, here are the steps both brands and influencers take to create effective sponsored content:

For Brands

• Add influencer as a partner: In Instagram settings, add the influencer’s handle under “Branded Content.” This will allow you to approve their post.

• Review and approve content: Review the post creative and copy before the influencer publishes to ensure it aligns with your brand.

• Monitor performance: Track the reach, engagement, clicks, and other metrics on your approved sponsored posts.

For Influencers

• Co-create a plan: Work with the brand to decide on content, captions, hashtags, etc based on their goals.

• Disclose partnership: Use Instagram’s “Paid Partnership” tag to properly disclose in the post caption.

• Use brand hashtags: Include relevant branded hashtags provided by the brand to help them track performance.

• Tag location: If relevant, make sure to geotag the brand’s location or tagged location.

• Provide analytics: Share engagement stats, impressions, etc with the brand from your end.

Measuring Sponsored Post Performance

To determine the success of sponsored posts, here are key metrics for brands and influencers to track:

• Engagement Rate: Likes, comments, shares, saves divided by reach or impressions. Shows how well the content resonated.

• Click-Through Rate: Number of clicks on links or profile divided by reach. Measures interest driven.

• Sales: Track sales or conversions generated from any links or promo codes within the posts.

• Follower Growth: Monitor follower growth for the influencer or brand after sponsored posts. Shows awareness gains.

• Impressions: Number of times the post was seen. Helps estimate potential reach.

Analyzing performance data will help optimize future partnerships and content strategies for better results.

Key Takeaways

• Sponsored posts are Instagram posts that brands pay to boost or promote through influencer partnerships.

• Benefits include expanded reach, increased engagement, conversions, and leveraging influencers.

• Influencers can earn money, gain exposure, and build relationships via sponsored content.

• Rates vary based on follower count but can range from $50 to $10,000+ per post.

• Properly disclosing partnerships and tracking metrics are key to creating effective collaborations.

Sponsored content presents a lucrative opportunity for both brands and influencers on Instagram. As the space continues to grow, leveraging strategic partnerships and data-driven insights will be key to success.