*By Samantha Errico* The latest Instagram trend isn't sponsored content, it's fake sponsored content. Yes, fake ー and it's called "sponcon." As the market grows more crowded, small and mid-level influencers are scrambling to gain credibility, grow their following, and partner with brands. But when those influencers are unable to land hyper-competitive sponsorships, they're creating their own promotional opportunities instead. Taylor Lorenz, staff writer at The Atlantic, blames "the rise of the influencer economy" for the sudden surge in fake ads. "Followers are becoming more irrelevant," Lorenz told Cheddar Wednesday, "the new mark of success is these brand deals." Fashion influencers tag the clothing brands they wear and beauty influencers tag the makeup and skincare products they use ー with or without the sponsorship. For some brands, the free publicity is welcome, but it largely depends on the influencer involved. "If you are a luxury brand that part of your selling point is this exclusivity, you don't want a bunch of mid-level influencers acting like they are your brand ambassadors ー posting content that maybe doesn't fit brand guidelines," Lorenz said. But Lorenz also noted that strong promotional skills can open the door to new opportunities for influencers. "A lot of influencers I spoke to did end up landing real brand deals from the free work they created," she said. Bottom line, rising Instagram stars are following one simple strategy, for now: fake it until you make it. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rising-influencers-are-faking-it-in-order-to-make-it-on-instagram).
