Disclosing a paid partnership

Every piece of campaign content you post is a paid endorsement, and it has to be disclosed as one.

This is not a brand preference or a Social Native house rule. In the US the Federal Trade Commission requires it, and the Creator Terms of Use you accepted at onboarding puts the obligation on you specifically — section 4.d.iv.

What the terms commit you to

Two things, in the terms' own framing:

1. Only make accurate statements that represent your genuine experience with the product. Do not claim a result you did not get, or an opinion you do not hold.
2. Make every disclosure required by the FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, and any additional disclosure the brief asks for.

The terms also say you indemnify Social Native against claims arising from a failure to disclose. In plain terms: if a disclosure is missing and it causes a problem, that lands on you. It is worth taking seriously for that reason alone.

How to disclose properly

Use the platform's own tool. It is the clearest signal and it survives reposts:

• Instagram — the paid partnership label. Advanced settings → Paid partnership label → add brand partner. You may be asked for this anyway if the campaign uses ad codes; see Spark and Partnership ad codes.
• TikTok — the branded content toggle in post settings.
• YouTube — the paid promotion disclosure.

And say it in the content. A label alone is easy to miss. #ad or #sponsored near the start of the caption, not buried under a wall of other hashtags or hidden behind "more". In video, say it out loud or put it on screen early.

Rules of thumb that keep you out of trouble:

• Up front, not at the end. A disclosure someone has to hunt for does not count.
• Plain words. "#ad", "#sponsored", "Paid partnership with X". Not "#sp", "#collab", "#thanks" or an ambiguous emoji.
• Every piece, every platform. Including Stories, including a repost of your own post.
• Disclose even for free product. Being sent something to keep is still compensation.

It applies outside the US too

The FTC guides are US rules, but most markets have an equivalent — the ASA in the UK, for instance. Wherever you are, disclose. If local rules are stricter than the brief, follow the stricter one.

If the brief and the law disagree

The brief cannot ask you to skip a disclosure, and no brand is entitled to ask. If a brief seems to be asking you to hide a partnership, do not post — email creator.marketing@socialnative.com and we will sort it out with the brand.

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This is a summary to help you get it right, not legal advice. The Creator Terms of Use are the operative document, and the FTC publishes its endorsement guides directly.