How subtle ads and sponsored content on social media trick users

The scientists wanted to test how much time people spent looking at sponsored versus organic posts, how they looked at different areas of these different posts, and how they behaved after realising they were looking at sponsored content – in other words, native advertising. 

Although participants in the study did notice disclosures when they were visible, the eye-tracking data suggests that participants pay more attention to calls to action – for example, a link to sign up for something. This could indicate that this is how people often recognise social media advertisements.  

Study participants were also quick to recognise an ad by the profile name or verification badge of a brand’s official account. Glossy visuals were also an advertising indicator, causing participants to express distrust in the content. 

Logos and polished images are among the indicators of sponsored content 

“People picked up on design details like logos, polished images, or ‘shop now’ buttons before they noticed an actual disclosure,” says Hübner.  

“On brand posts, that label is right under the username at the top, while on [paid] influencer content or reels, it might be hidden in a hashtag or buried in the ‘read more’ section.” 

Although the scientists found that the advertisements often went unnoticed, if participants realised that the content wasn’t organic, many of them stopped engaging with the post. Dwell time dropped immediately. 

This was less likely to happen to sponsored content that blended in better, with less polished visuals and a tone and format more typical of organic content. If ad cues like disclosures or call-to-action buttons weren’t noticed right away, they got similar levels of engagement to unsponsored organic posts. 

“Many participants were shocked to learn how many ads they had missed. Some felt tricked, [while] others didn’t mind,” notes Hübner. 

“That last group might be the most worrying. When we stop noticing or caring that something is an ad, the boundary between persuasion and information becomes very thin.” 

The scientists believe these findings show that appropriate advertising or sponsored content transparency on social media platforms goes well beyond just labelling ads. Understanding how people really process ads should lead to a rethink of platform design and regulation to ensure that users know when they’re looking at paid-for content. 

You can find out more about the study, titled ‘Blending In or Standing Out? The Disclosure Dilemma of Ad Cues of Social Media Native Advertising’, here.