💰 A new way to cash in
Instagram just made comments a revenue stream. Meta launched "Testimonials" under Partnership Ads, letting creators get paid for endorsing products in ad comments. These short, under-125-character messages will be pinned for visibility.
📢 Transparency or just marketing?
40% of Instagram users rely on creator recommendations when shopping. Meta’s move aims to monetize an existing practice while ensuring transparency. However, these paid testimonials are still advertisements, making it harder to separate genuine reviews from promotions.
🤝 How it works
Brands and creators negotiate payments outside of Instagram. Creators submit endorsements, and brands attach them to ads. The comments appear at the top of posts, giving more exposure. Creators can track and even remove their testimonials if needed.
📈 What’s next?
This could change influencer marketing. Instead of just posts and collabs, brands now pay for words in the comment section. If successful, expect more platforms to adopt similar models, making sponsored comments the next big ad format.
Would you trust a paid Instagram comment?
