Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri) Debunking Another Common Instagram Myth as part of his new series of informative posts on the app.
In this latest post, Mosseri debunks Instagram rumors Intentionally lowering the ranking of posts marked as sponsored contentto force brands to pay for influence.
according to Mosseri:
“We won’t downrank posts you mark as sponsored. It helps us understand Instagram and understand what content is sponsored, but it’s also important for creators to mark their content as sponsored without fear of a ranking drop. This way they can comply with local laws around the world.
The common theory is that IG benefits by lowering the ranking of these posts because it’s another way of ensuring that brands and their partners have to pay for the extra reach.
Although as some have pointed out, IG users may simply engage less with sponsored content, and once they see the “Sponsored” label on a post, some will continue to scroll, thereby reducing engagement and thus affecting the audience.
Therefore, the reach “penalty” in this case is likely a side effect of the tag itself, rather than something Instagram initiated. As Mosseri explains here, the platform does not reduce the reach of these posts through these tags, algorithmically or otherwise.
As mentioned, this is the latest in a series of new video posts from Mosseri, where he attempts to provide more context around certain elements of the app that users often have questions about.
Last month, Mosseri also explained There is no penalty for including your branded login on the reels, But Reels with TikTok and YouTube watermarks will face reach penalties.
There’s value in debunking some of these myths with information straight from Instagram, although many still ignore Mosseri’s description and assume the worst. You can’t really blame them either, as Meta’s reputation for deceiving business users in the past is well known, and those who have been hurt are unlikely to believe it.
But for everyone else, you can get this message directly from the person in charge of IG, noting that it will not penalize posts with the “sponsored” label.
