Who do people trust the most these days? Newspapers, TV channels, or online media? Readers have become audiences and now subscribers and viewers. It is indisputable that influencers on social media platforms are getting more acceptance today than any centralized media. But are you sure that the information shared by these Influencers is real..?
Especially with videos and posts about various establishments, resorts, hotels, equipment, gadgets and vehicles. The reality is that many of these are paid performances. We are not of the opinion that everyone is like this. There are many influencers in the new media who give honest opinions about the place they went, the hotel they stayed in and the vehicle they drove.
In any case, followers have a lot of faith in influencers, but the central government does not have much faith. The Center is giving a small nod to the influencers who have been showing anything on social media without any control till now. Those who pay money from brands and say that gadgets and vehicles are cool should beware.
The central position is that it should be clearly displayed in the content uploaded as part of paid promotions. Those who are not willing to comply may have to pay a fine of up to 50 lakhs. In recent times, the practice of paying influencers to promote even inferior products has been seen in the advertising market.
Influencers can influence their followers both directly and indirectly. Due to this, companies are ready to pay those who have more followers. Today, it is common for a good percentage of influencers on social media to blindly promote various products through posts and videos without understanding exactly what they are doing.
Until now there were no provisions to regulate these promotional contents. The Center is preparing to come up with new rules in the context of rising paid promotions. According to reports, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will introduce new guidelines for this. The bottom line is that adding a paid promotion tag to paid videos and posts helps influencers avoid financial loss and defamation.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) can file a complaint against those who do not disclose that they have done it for money while making promotional videos. These restrictions will apply not only to influencers on social media, but also to celebrities and the like. The regulation comes to prevent the sharing of false information. This will also prevent the situation of promoting only certain brands.
In the past, influencers who had the necessary reach on social media platforms were paid on the basis of views. But now that way has completely changed. The reality is that influencers’ freedom to comment on social media and their reach has made brands rethink their advertising strategy.