Paid partnership
What is a paid partnership?
Paid partnership is the label Instagram, Facebook and YouTube (and similar labels on TikTok) add to content made in a commercial deal. The creator turns it on and tags the brand, and viewers see that the post is sponsored.
The label is part of disclosing a sponsored post. Regulators generally expect the disclosure to be clear and hard to miss, so many creators also say it in the caption or video.
Why a paid partnership matters
It is the simplest way to disclose a deal, and it lets the brand see the post’s reach and engagement in its own account on some platforms. It is also needed for some ad formats such as whitelisting.
Related marketing terms
A sponsored post is content a creator publishes because a brand paid or gave them something for it, and it must be disclosed as an ad.
FTC disclosureWhite hat
FTC disclosure is the US rule that creators must clearly say when they have a paid or material connection with a brand they promote.
Influencer whitelisting lets a brand run paid ads through a creator’s account, so ads show the creator’s name and content to new audiences.
Spark Ads are TikTok ads that boost an existing organic post, a creator’s or the brand’s own, keeping its likes, comments and profile link.