Moms and micro-influencers: a new profile for brands on instagram

Abstract

. Influencer marketing has become a fundamental tool in advertising. At the same time, the presence of minors on social media has become widespread, espe-cially on their parents’ channels, as seen with micro-influencer mothers (those with less than 100 000 followers). This study aims to understand their communication and engagement strategies through an exploratory data analysis of the Instagram activi-ty of five micro-influencers during five months (August to December 2022), analyzing 276 posts. The research shows that, like instamoms, the profiles studied feature seve-ral brands employing different advertising techniques, often lacking transparency regarding their commercial relationships. Most posts that showcase brands do not include any disclosure about a commercial collaboration. Fashion brands appear more frequently, but the food sector is particularly concerning, as many promote unhealthy products. Minors play an essential role by appearing in the most-liked and commercial posts. The results highlight the involvement of minors in profiles that fail to comply with key industry regulations, despite a great deal of advertising activity occurs, along with a lack of transparency from both micro-influencers and brands.