Paid Partnership
A commercial arrangement between a brand and a creator that must be disclosed through platform tools and proper labeling.
What Paid Partnership means
A paid partnership is any commercial relationship where a creator receives compensation (money, products, services, or other value) from a brand in exchange for content creation or promotion. Platforms provide specific tools to disclose paid partnerships — Instagram's Paid Partnership label, TikTok's Branded Content disclosure, YouTube's Paid Promotion checkbox, and similar features. Both FTC guidelines and platform policies require disclosure. The disclosure must be clear, prominent, and appear before the user needs to click to see more. Common violations include failing to use platform tools, burying disclosure in lengthy captions, using ambiguous language, or omitting disclosure entirely. Brands are jointly responsible with creators for ensuring proper disclosure and can face FTC enforcement actions for partner non-compliance.
Related terms
Branded Content
Content created by influencers or publishers that features or is influenced by a brand, requiring proper disclosure and platform tagging.
Endorsement Disclosure
A clear statement revealing a material connection between an endorser and a brand, required by FTC guidelines and platform policies.
Influencer Marketing
Marketing through partnerships with social media influencers who promote brands to their followers, requiring proper disclosure.
Spark Ads
TikTok's native ad format that lets brands boost existing organic posts from their own account or a creator's account.