Influencer marketing

It does not have to be a celebrity. For a local business, a profile with a few thousand followers in the area can hit the mark better than a big name. The point is that the recommendation comes from a person the followers trust, as a kind of social proof.

The labelling rules

The guidance from Forbrukertilsynet, the Norwegian Consumer Authority, on labelling advertising in social media (in Norwegian) is concrete. The post must be labelled "reklame" or "annonse", the Norwegian words for advertising, and the label must come first in the post, visible without anyone having to scroll or tap "read more". Words like "sponset" (sponsored), "i samarbeid med" (in collaboration with) and "#ad" are not recommended, because they are too vague.

It counts as advertising even when the payment is a free product, a loan, a trip or a discount. And you as the advertiser carry the main responsibility, even though the influencer writes the post. Forbrukertilsynet also recommends that you do not use influencers under 18.

Before you send a free product

Agree in writing what will be published, and that the post will be labelled "reklame" first. Give the influencer their own discount code or a link with UTM parameters, so you can see what the collaboration actually delivered. Check the post once it is published, and ask for a correction if the label is missing.