Rules
Part of Why does an influencer campaign need one record before outreach even starts?
Which influencer campaign management questions recur
The influencer campaign management questions that come up most: FTC disclosure under 16 CFR Part 255, platform labels, scripts, gifted product, contracts, corrections and reporting.
What to take away
- Disclose material connections under the FTC Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255, before the post goes live.
- Use each platform's paid-partnership setting, and still put a clear disclosure in the content.
- Agree on payment, rights, review and correction in writing before production begins.
Common influencer campaign management questions arise where creative freedom meets advertising responsibility. The answers below name the US rules that apply. Laws change, so campaigns with regulated products, children or several markets need qualified review.
What makes a relationship material?
The FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, 16 CFR Part 255, require disclosure of any material connection between an endorser and the advertiser. Those connections include payment, free product and family or employment ties. The FTC's Disclosures 101 business guidance applies them to social media.
Material connection triggers
- Money or payment
- Free or discounted product
- Travel or event expenses
- Commissions or affiliate links
- Employment relationship
- Family or personal ties
Ask whether a viewer would expect the relationship to affect how they judge the endorsement. If yes, disclose it. Free product counts even when no money changes hands.
When does a creator relationship need disclosure?
Disclose from the first gift or payment, not from the day the post goes live. Identify the relationship at briefing, then put the disclosure in the final format: caption, on-screen text or spoken line. A disclosure buried in a block of hashtags does not meet the FTC's clear and conspicuous expectation.
Is a platform label enough?
No. Labels help, but they may not travel when a post is clipped or reposted. Use the setting on each platform:
- Instagram:the paid partnership label, under Advanced settings in the post editor. Up to two brand partners can be tagged.
- Facebook:Meta's paid partnership label, applied through its branded content tools.
- TikTok:the commercial content disclosure setting in post settings, which adds a disclosure to the post. Check TikTok's current wording for the label it shows.
- YouTube:its paid promotion disclosure option. Check YouTube Help for the current location and wording.
How should we word the disclosure?
Use plain words such as "Ad", "Sponsored" or "Paid partnership with [brand]". Place them where people see them before they engage, at the start of the caption or on screen before the product claim. Vague phrases such as "thanks to" a brand are weaker. Repeat the disclosure in every language the post uses. Giveaways follow the same logic; see US social media contest rules.
How should we select creators?
Start with the creator's campaign role. Review topic credibility, real product relevance, audience fit, disclosure history, conflicts and expected rights. Check the last several sponsored posts to see whether they disclosed. Treat follower counts and authenticity scores as signals, not decisions.
Can the brand write the script?
The brand may supply substantiated facts and required statements. Under 16 CFR 255.1(a), though, an endorsement must reflect the endorser's honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experience. Do not write first-person claims the creator cannot truthfully make. A structured brief with approved facts is safer than a scripted testimonial.
Should gifted product guarantee a post?
State expectations in writing before shipping. If the creator must post, treat it as paid work with written compensation and disclosure. If there is no posting obligation, say so, and do not tie the gift to positive coverage.
What belongs in the agreement?
Include deliverables, timing, compensation, expenses, claims, disclosure, revisions, usage rights, paid use, exclusivity, cancellation, privacy, records and payment dates. Define each usage channel, term and territory. For example, a brand might license paid social use for 12 months and organic use for six months in the United States, with the scope written out.
How much control should the brand have?
Review for agreed facts, disclosure, claims, safety and rights. Preserve the creator's truthful language, and keep to the agreed revision limit.
What should we measure?
Use outcomes that match the campaign decision: valid delivery, attention, tracked action and efficiency. Separate organic results from paid amplification, and state attribution limits. A governed campaign link makes social media analytics trustworthy when creator results are reported.
What if a live post is wrong?
Save the live URL and a dated capture first. Pause paid use if needed, contact the creator through the agreed route, and ask for the post to be edited or removed through the platform's own controls. Escalate regulated claims, safety or privacy issues promptly.
Quick comparison
| Question | Decision owner | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Why this creator? | Campaign owner | Scored selection rationale |
| What may be claimed? | Evidence owner | Current claim register |
| What may be reused? | Rights owner | Asset-specific license |
| What did people see? | Publisher and reviewer | Live capture and URL |
Can we reuse a creator's post as an ad?
Not without rights. An organic post is not a license for paid use. Confirm paid usage, channels, term and territory in writing.
Questions that come up after launch
Can the post stay up after the campaign ends?
Yes, if the agreement allows it. Keep the disclosure on for as long as the post stays live, because an undisclosed post that keeps running can mislead viewers.
What if a creator removes a post early?
Check the term and cancellation clause, follow what the contract requires, and record the removal date and the reason given.
