Last Reviewed: September 2026

Influencer marketing, sponsored content, affiliate relationships, product gifting, brand partnerships, employee advocacy, and other forms of endorsement can be effective because audiences often experience them differently from traditional advertising. That difference also creates an obligation to make commercial relationships understandable.

The AAMA Influencer & Sponsored Content Disclosure Guide provides a practical framework for brands, agencies, creators, influencers, publishers, students, academics, and marketing professionals working with endorsements and sponsored communication in the United States.

The central principle is straightforward: when a relationship with a brand could affect how an audience evaluates an endorsement, that relationship should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. The audience should not have to investigate whether a recommendation was paid for, incentivized, or connected to the advertiser.

This guide is educational and does not replace legal advice. Platform requirements, regulations, enforcement priorities, and applicable laws can change, and campaigns involving regulated products or specialized industries may require additional review.

Start With the Material Connection

The first question is whether a material connection exists between the person making the endorsement and the advertiser.

A material connection can include:

• Payment
• Free products
• Discounted products
• Free services
• Travel
• Event admission
• Affiliate commissions
• Employment
• Business relationships
• Personal relationships
• Family relationships
• Other benefits or incentives

The relationship does not need to involve cash.

If a brand sends an influencer a free product and the influencer later recommends that product, the free product can create a material connection that should be disclosed.

The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for influencers specifically notes that financial relationships are not limited to monetary payments and can include free or discounted products or services.

Ask Whether the Relationship Could Affect Credibility

The purpose of disclosure is to give the audience information that may affect how much weight or credibility they give the recommendation.

Ask:

Would knowing about this relationship potentially change how someone evaluates the endorsement?

If the answer may be yes, disclosure is generally the safer and more transparent approach.

Do not assume that followers already know an influencer works with a particular company or regularly receives products from brands.

Disclosure Is Required Even When the Opinion Is Genuine

A creator may genuinely love the product and still need to disclose the relationship.

Disclosure does not mean:

• The opinion is fake
• The creator was told what to say
• The endorsement is dishonest
• The product is poor

It simply tells the audience that a relationship exists that may be relevant to evaluating the recommendation.

An honest opinion does not eliminate the need to disclose a material connection.

Disclosure Is Not Only for Influencers

Disclosure principles can apply to many people who endorse or promote products.

These may include:

• Influencers
• Celebrities
• Employees
• Executives
• Customers
• Affiliates
• Bloggers
• Podcasters
• Streamers
• Athletes
• Experts
• Brand ambassadors
• Creators
• Family members of brand representatives

The relevant question is not whether the person uses the title “influencer.” It is whether an endorsement is being made and whether a material connection exists.

Paid Posts

When a brand pays someone to promote or discuss a product, service, event, organization, or offer, the commercial relationship should be disclosed clearly.

Appropriate disclosure language can include:

• Ad
• Advertisement
• Sponsored
• Paid partnership with [Brand]
• Paid promotion for [Brand]

The exact wording can vary, but the meaning should be immediately understandable.

Avoid unnecessarily creative disclosure language when a simple word such as “Ad” communicates the relationship more clearly.

Free Products

Free products can create a material connection even when no payment is provided and the brand does not require a positive review.

A disclosure might say:

• Gifted by [Brand]
• [Brand] sent me this product for free
• Thanks to [Brand] for providing this product
• Product provided by [Brand]

The disclosure should make the relationship obvious.

Simply saying “thanks [Brand]” may not explain that the product was provided for free.

Discounted Products & Services

Receiving a special discount unavailable to ordinary customers can also create a relationship that may need disclosure.

For example:

“[Brand] provided this service at a discounted rate.”

The important issue is whether the benefit could affect how the audience evaluates the endorsement.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate relationships provide compensation when someone clicks a link, purchases a product, registers, subscribes, or completes another qualifying action.

Affiliate links should be disclosed clearly.

Useful language might include:

• Affiliate link
• I may earn a commission if you purchase through this link
• I earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through this link

Do not rely only on technical terms that audiences may not understand.

A disclosure such as “affiliate” may be familiar to some audiences, but adding a plain-language explanation can provide greater clarity.

Employee Endorsements

Employees recommending their employer’s products should consider whether the employment relationship is obvious.

If it is not, disclose it.

For example:

“I work for [Brand].”

Employees should not present themselves as ordinary independent consumers when their employment relationship could affect how the recommendation is evaluated.

This applies particularly to:

• Reviews
• Social posts
• Community discussions
• Product recommendations
• Testimonials

Organizations should train employees on when and how to identify their relationship.

Family & Personal Relationships

Personal and family relationships can also be material.

For example, if someone promotes a company owned by a spouse, parent, sibling, or close business partner, the audience may reasonably want to know about that relationship.

A disclosure should explain the relationship in language the audience can understand.

Brand Ambassadors

The term “brand ambassador” can describe many arrangements, including paid relationships, free products, commissions, long-term sponsorships, and employment-like relationships.

Do not assume that the word “ambassador” by itself communicates the commercial relationship clearly enough in every context.

Where needed, use a more direct disclosure such as:

“Paid ambassador for [Brand].”

or:

“Sponsored by [Brand].”

Tags, Likes, Pins & Similar Actions

An endorsement does not always require a long written recommendation.

Actions such as:

• Tagging a brand
• Liking a product
• Pinning a product
• Sharing a product recommendation
• Posting a product photo
• Demonstrating product use

can sometimes function as endorsements depending on context.

If a material connection exists and the communication conveys approval, disclosure may be appropriate even when the endorsement contains very little text.

Place the Disclosure With the Endorsement

The disclosure should appear where people encounter the endorsement.

Do not hide it:

• On a profile page
• On an About page
• In a separate biography
• On a distant webpage
• At the bottom of a long caption
• Behind multiple clicks

The FTC’s influencer disclosure guidance advises placing disclosures with the endorsement message itself and in a location that is hard to miss.

The audience should not need to search for the disclosure.

Put the Disclosure Before “More”

On platforms that truncate captions or require users to select “more” to continue reading, important disclosures should appear before that break whenever practical.

A disclosure placed at the end of a lengthy caption may never be seen by many users.

The commercial relationship should be apparent before the audience meaningfully engages with the endorsement.

Do Not Bury the Disclosure in Hashtags

A disclosure should not disappear inside a long string of hashtags.

For example:

#summer #travel #style #fashion #partner #weekend #ad

makes the disclosure less visible.

A better structure would place the disclosure prominently near the beginning:

Ad | Paid partnership with [Brand].

The disclosure can still use a hashtag such as #ad, but it should remain easy to notice.

Use Clear Language

Good disclosures are understandable without specialized marketing knowledge.

Clear terms can include:

• Ad
• Advertisement
• Sponsored
• Paid partnership
• Gifted product
• Affiliate link
• I received this product for free

Avoid vague shorthand such as:

• sp
• spon
• collab
• partner
• thanks
• ambassador

when the wording does not clearly explain the relationship.

The FTC has specifically warned against vague or confusing abbreviations and terms that may not communicate the commercial connection clearly.

Use the Same Language as the Endorsement

If an endorsement is primarily in Spanish, the disclosure should also be understandable to a Spanish-speaking audience.

If it is in French, the disclosure should be understandable in French.

The disclosure should not require the audience to understand another language in order to recognize the commercial relationship.

Platform Disclosure Tools Can Help, but Do Not Rely on Them Alone

Many platforms provide built-in labels such as:

• Paid Partnership
• Branded Content
• Includes Paid Promotion

These tools can improve transparency and should be used when appropriate.

However, marketers and influencers should not assume that a platform tool automatically satisfies every disclosure requirement.

The FTC advises influencers not to assume that a platform’s disclosure feature is sufficient on its own.

Where appropriate, use both the platform tool and a clear disclosure within the content itself.

Image Posts

When the endorsement is primarily visual, a disclosure may need to appear directly on the image.

It should be:

• Large enough to read
• High enough in contrast
• Visible long enough to notice
• Separate from visual clutter

Do not rely solely on a caption when the audience may consume the image without reading accompanying text.

Stories & Temporary Content

Temporary formats such as Stories require particular care because the audience may see each piece for only a few seconds.

Disclosure text should appear directly on the sponsored content and remain readable.

Avoid:

• Tiny text
• Low contrast
• Placement over complex imagery
• Extremely brief display
• Disclosures hidden under interface controls

The audience should have a realistic opportunity to see and understand the disclosure.

Video Content

For sponsored video, placing the disclosure only in the description may be insufficient because many viewers never open the description.

Include the disclosure within the video itself.

Depending on the content, this may involve:

• Spoken disclosure
• On-screen disclosure
• Both spoken and on-screen disclosure

The FTC notes that video disclosures are more likely to be noticed when communicated through both audio and visual presentation.

Disclose Early in Video

Do not wait until the end of a long video to reveal that the content was sponsored.

If the sponsorship influences the content from the beginning, viewers should understand that relationship from the beginning.

For example:

“This video is sponsored by [Brand].”

is much clearer than a disclosure appearing only in the closing credits.

Long Videos

Long-form videos may benefit from more than one disclosure.

If viewers can enter at different points or skip sections, a disclosure at the beginning may not always be sufficient for every viewing experience.

Consider repeating the sponsorship information where appropriate.

The frequency should reflect the length and structure of the content.

Live Streams

Viewers may enter a live stream at any point.

For sponsored live content, repeat the disclosure periodically so people who join later still have a reasonable opportunity to understand the relationship.

The FTC specifically recommends repeating disclosures periodically during live streams.

Podcasts

Sponsored podcast content should clearly distinguish advertising from independent editorial or conversational content.

Useful approaches include spoken language such as:

“This episode is sponsored by [Brand].”

or:

“[Brand] is a paid sponsor of today’s program.”

If a host personally endorses a sponsor, the endorsement should also reflect the host’s genuine experience and comply with ordinary truth-in-advertising principles.

Audio Content

Audio advertising does not have a visual disclosure to rely on.

The relationship should be communicated verbally in clear language.

Do not depend on show notes or an external webpage when the endorsement itself is heard through audio.

Blogs & Articles

Sponsored articles should clearly disclose the commercial relationship near the content.

Labels may include:

• Sponsored
• Advertisement
• Paid Content
• Sponsored by [Brand]

Avoid presentation that intentionally makes a sponsored article appear to be independent editorial reporting.

The commercial nature of the material should be understandable before or as the audience begins consuming it.

Native Advertising

Native advertising is designed to resemble surrounding editorial, entertainment, social, or platform content.

The closer advertising resembles independent content, the more important clear identification becomes.

Do not use vague labels that readers may interpret as editorial categories rather than advertising disclosures.

The goal is not to destroy the native format. The goal is to prevent confusion about who paid for the content.

Newsletters

Sponsored newsletter content should be identified clearly.

Possible approaches include:

• Sponsored
• Advertisement
• Presented by [Brand]
• Paid sponsorship from [Brand]

If affiliate links are included, disclose the affiliate relationship as well.

The disclosure should appear close enough to the commercial content that the reader understands which material it applies to.

Email

Individual creators and publishers using email for paid endorsements should disclose sponsorship relationships just as they would in other media.

Do not assume that subscribers already know which recommendations are commercially motivated.

The endorsement should remain transparent whether it appears in a social post, email, article, podcast, or video.

Affiliate Lists & Product Roundups

Product roundups and recommendation lists may contain multiple commercial relationships.

For example, a page may include:

• Affiliate links
• Sponsored placements
• Free products
• Independently selected products

Explain those relationships clearly.

A general disclosure near the beginning may state:

“This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”

If individual products received additional paid placement, disclose that separately where necessary.

Sponsored Reviews

A brand can compensate a creator to review a product, but the creator’s opinion should remain genuine.

The creator should not claim:

• To have used a product they did not use
• To have experienced benefits they did not experience
• To like a product they actually disliked
• To have achieved outcomes they did not achieve

The FTC Endorsement Guides apply the same truth-in-advertising principles to endorsements that apply to other advertising.

Payment does not make false statements acceptable.

Negative Opinions

Sponsorship does not require positive commentary unless the contract itself requires particular claims or restrictions.

A creator who genuinely dislikes a product should not falsely claim that they love it simply because they were paid.

Brands should not build influencer programs around requiring deceptive personal opinions.

Do Not Script False Experiences

Brands may provide:

• Talking points
• Product facts
• Required disclosures
• Approved claims
• Campaign themes

They should not require creators to claim personal experiences that did not occur.

For example:

“This completely changed my morning routine.”

should not be scripted as a personal testimonial when the creator does not genuinely hold that view.

Claims Must Be Substantiated

Influencers cannot make unsupported objective claims simply because those claims are delivered through personal content.

Examples include claims about:

• Health
• Performance
• Savings
• Results
• Effectiveness
• Scientific proof
• Product superiority

If the advertiser would need evidence to make the claim directly, an influencer generally cannot solve that problem by saying it instead.

The FTC’s influencer guidance specifically warns endorsers against making claims requiring proof that the advertiser does not have.

Brands Are Responsible Too

Influencers have disclosure responsibilities, but brands should not treat compliance as entirely the creator’s problem.

Advertisers should establish:

• Disclosure requirements
• Approved claim guidance
• Training
• Monitoring
• Correction procedures
• Documentation

The FTC’s current endorsement guidance discusses advertiser responsibility for what endorsers say on social media and the need for reasonable programs to train and monitor endorsers.

Agencies Share Responsibility

Agencies managing influencer programs should build disclosure and claim review into campaign operations.

Agency responsibilities may include:

• Brief development
• Contract language
• Creator onboarding
• Disclosure guidance
• Content review
• Monitoring
• Escalation
• Documentation

Disclosure should not become an afterthought after content has already been approved and posted.

Include Disclosure Requirements in Contracts

Influencer and creator agreements should identify disclosure expectations clearly.

Contract language may address:

• Required terminology
• Disclosure placement
• Platform tools
• Video disclosures
• Live-stream disclosures
• Affiliate links
• Claim restrictions
• Approval procedures
• Correction requirements

The contract should support compliance rather than leaving disclosure entirely to informal communication.

Provide Creators With Clear Guidance

A complicated legal memo is not always the best training tool for creators.

Provide concise instructions explaining:

• When disclosure is required
• Where it should appear
• Which terms are approved
• What claims are permitted
• What claims are prohibited
• Who to contact with questions

Creators are more likely to follow a system they can understand and apply consistently.

Monitor Sponsored Content

Brands and agencies should review whether sponsored content is being posted as agreed.

Monitoring can include:

• Disclosure presence
• Disclosure visibility
• Claim accuracy
• Platform labeling
• Prohibited claims
• Required messaging

If a problem is identified, correct it promptly.

A contract requiring proper disclosure is not enough if the organization knows creators are routinely ignoring it.

Correct Missing Disclosures

If sponsored content is published without an appropriate disclosure:

1. Contact the creator promptly.
2. Add or correct the disclosure.
3. Document the correction.
4. Determine why the error occurred.
5. Improve training or review procedures when necessary.

Deleting the post may be appropriate in some situations, but correction can often preserve the content while restoring transparency.

Giveaways & Contests

Social media contests and giveaways can involve endorsements when people are encouraged to post about a brand as part of participation.

If entrants must promote the brand, tag the company, or post branded content, the relationship between the promotion and the contest should be clear.

Do not rely on ambiguous hashtags that fail to explain why participants are posting.

Campaign-specific legal requirements may also apply to sweepstakes and contests.

Affiliate Codes

Personal discount codes can create a commercial relationship even when no traditional affiliate link appears.

If the creator earns money, credit, free products, or another benefit when followers use the code, disclose that relationship.

For example:

“I earn a commission when you use my code.”

This is more informative than simply posting:

“Use TONY20 for 20% off.”

Referral Programs

Referral programs can also create incentives that should be disclosed.

If someone receives:

• Account credit
• Cash
• Free service
• Discounts
• Rewards

for referring others, the recommendation may involve a material connection.

The audience should understand that incentive when it could affect the credibility of the recommendation.

Press Trips & Hosted Travel

Free travel, accommodations, meals, experiences, or event access can create material connections.

A travel creator might disclose:

“[Hotel] provided my stay.”

or:

“This trip was hosted by [Tourism Organization].”

Do not assume that phrases such as “hosted” are automatically clear to every audience. Where necessary, explain what was provided.

Event Invitations

Complimentary event access can also be relevant.

If a creator receives valuable admission, hospitality, travel, backstage access, or other benefits in exchange for or in connection with coverage, disclosure may be appropriate.

The value is not limited to the retail price of a physical product.

Product Seeding

Brands sometimes send products without requiring recipients to post.

If the recipient later chooses to endorse the product, the free product can still be relevant even though no posting obligation existed.

AAMA recommends disclosing the gift rather than assuming that the absence of a formal contract removes the material connection.

Unsolicited Gifts

If a brand sends something without prior agreement and the recipient later posts about it, disclosure may still be appropriate when the gift is material to the audience’s evaluation.

For example:

“[Brand] sent this to me for free. I wasn’t required to post about it.”

This both identifies the gift and provides useful context.

Products Purchased by the Creator

If someone purchased a product normally and has no relationship with the brand, no special disclosure of “not sponsored” is generally necessary.

The FTC states that consumers who simply recommend something they purchased and have no brand relationship do not need to announce the absence of a relationship.

Creators may still voluntarily say “not sponsored,” but it should not become a substitute for proper disclosure when sponsorship actually exists.

“Not Sponsored” Should Be Accurate

Do not say:

“Not sponsored”

when:

• The product was free
• The company paid for travel
• An affiliate relationship exists
• The creator is an employee
• Another material relationship exists

A statement intended to signal independence should itself be truthful.

Disclosure & Creative Quality Are Compatible

Clear disclosures do not require turning creative content into legal-looking material.

A sponsorship can be communicated naturally:

“This video is sponsored by [Brand].”

“[Brand] provided the product I’m testing today.”

“I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links.”

Transparency can become a normal part of creator communication rather than an interruption.

Do Not Make the Disclosure a Joke

Humor can be used around sponsored content, but the disclosure itself should remain understandable.

Avoid disclosures whose humor obscures whether the post was actually paid for.

For example, a deliberately absurd phrase that only longtime followers understand may fail to inform a new viewer.

The audience should not need inside knowledge to decode the sponsorship.

Do Not Hide Disclosures Through Design

Avoid disclosure text that is:

• Extremely small
• Transparent
• Low contrast
• Covered by interface elements
• Visible for only a fraction of a second
• Placed against visually complex backgrounds

A disclosure that technically appears on screen but is practically unreadable does not provide meaningful transparency.

Consider Mobile Viewing

Sponsored content is often consumed on phones.

Review disclosures on the actual device and platform where audiences will see them.

Check:

• Font size
• Contrast
• Cropping
• Caption truncation
• Interface overlays
• Screen duration

A disclosure that appears obvious on a desktop editing screen may be nearly invisible on a phone.

Consider Accessibility

Disclosures should be accessible to the extent practical.

For video, combining spoken and visual disclosure can help audiences who either cannot hear the audio or cannot easily see the on-screen text.

Captions should include important spoken sponsorship information where appropriate.

Accessibility and disclosure effectiveness often reinforce each other.

Global Campaigns

Different countries may impose different requirements for influencer marketing and advertising disclosures.

A campaign distributed internationally should not assume that compliance with one country’s system automatically satisfies every jurisdiction.

The FTC notes that U.S. law may apply to foreign posts when it is reasonably foreseeable that the content will affect U.S. consumers.

International campaigns should obtain appropriate market-specific guidance.

Keep Records

Brands and agencies should maintain appropriate documentation for influencer programs.

Records may include:

• Contracts
• Briefs
• Approved claims
• Disclosure guidance
• Content approvals
• Training materials
• Monitoring records
• Corrections
• Payment information

Documentation helps establish how the program was managed and supports consistent practices over time.

Create an Approved Disclosure Library

Organizations can make compliance easier by maintaining preapproved language for common situations.

For example:

Paid Social Post

Ad | Paid partnership with [Brand].

Free Product

[Brand] provided this product for free.

Affiliate Link

Affiliate link. I may earn a commission if you purchase through this link.

Sponsored Video

This video is sponsored by [Brand].

Hosted Travel

[Organization] provided travel and accommodations for this trip.

These examples should be adapted to the actual relationship rather than used mechanically.

Pre-Publication Disclosure Checklist

Before sponsored content goes live, confirm:

• A material connection has been identified
• The disclosure accurately describes the relationship
• The disclosure uses understandable language
• The disclosure is easy to notice
• It appears with the endorsement
• It appears before truncated content where appropriate
• It is not buried in hashtags
• Image disclosures are readable
• Video disclosures appear in the video
• Live-stream disclosures can be repeated
• Affiliate relationships are explained
• Platform disclosure tools are used where appropriate
• Claims are substantiated
• Personal experience claims are genuine
• Required brand and agency approvals are complete
• The content has been checked on the actual platform and device

This review should happen before publication rather than after someone notices a problem.

Brand Influencer Program Checklist

Organizations operating influencer programs should establish:

1. A written disclosure policy
2. Creator training
3. Approved disclosure examples
4. Claim guidance
5. Contract requirements
6. Pre-publication review where appropriate
7. Ongoing monitoring
8. Correction procedures
9. Escalation contacts
10. Recordkeeping

The exact system should reflect the size and risk of the program.

Transparency Protects Creator Credibility

Disclosure is sometimes treated as though it reduces an influencer’s authenticity. In practice, hidden sponsorship presents the greater credibility risk.

Audiences understand that creators, publishers, athletes, experts, and media organizations can have commercial relationships. The important issue is whether those relationships are communicated honestly.

A clear disclosure allows the audience to evaluate the endorsement with relevant context.

Transparency Protects the Brand

Hidden sponsorship can create legal, reputational, and relationship problems for advertisers.

A strong disclosure system protects against:

• Audience confusion
• Creator inconsistency
• Regulatory risk
• Brand distrust
• Campaign corrections
• Internal uncertainty

Influencer marketing works best when the commercial relationship is treated as a normal fact of the communication rather than something to conceal.

Disclosure Should Be Obvious, Not Clever

The best disclosure is often the simplest one.

Ad.

Sponsored by [Brand].

[Brand] gave me this product for free.

I earn a commission from purchases made through this link.

If an ordinary audience member can immediately understand the relationship, the disclosure is doing its job.

Related AAMA Resources

Continue exploring responsible advertising practices with the Advertising Ethics Guide, Advertising Claims Checklist, Responsible AI in Advertising & Marketing Guide, Marketing Data Ethics Checklist, Marketing Research Methods Guide, Advertising Copy Review Checklist, and Marketing Channels Reference Guide. These resources provide additional guidance for evaluating claims, endorsements, privacy, data practices, emerging technology, and advertising communication.

The AAMA Resource Library will continue reviewing this guide as regulatory guidance, platform practices, creator formats, and professional standards evolve.