Abstract

The Austrian Ethics Council for Public Relations has created a non-binding Influencer Guide to answer questions about becoming and being an influencer. The Guide focuses on determining when an individual becomes an influencer and when to mark posts as advertising. Therefore, the Guide presents short questions that are easy to answer to ensure clarity. For example, one important factor is whether the individual’s posts reach a small circle of friends or a larger target audience, such as through publicly accessible social media profiles. Another consideration is whether the individual receives any form of compensation, whether financial, material, or immaterial, for promoting a product or brand.