Original Content & FTC Guidelines

Updated: 10/5/22

FTC Guidelines and Original Content Requirements

Collective Voice’s creator program is powered by our community’s ability to produce original content. This allows us to partner with hundreds of retailers and provide you with the best opportunities and products to monetize your content. 

Original content and FTC compliance is a must whenever you are using Collective Voice links. 

By “original content”, we mean fresh, new material you’ve created. This could be a photo you took, a collage of your favorite products, a recipe you love to cook, and so much more! Producing original content is a great way to position yourself as an authentic, unique creator. It can lead to sponsorships and additional opportunities on the Collective Voice platform.

Certain retailers may have higher expectations with regards to original lifestyle-heavy content and want to see consistent imagery shot by you, product reviews, blog posts, recipes, tutorials, personal word of mouth testimonials, etc. As a result, not all retailers may be available at all times within the Collective program.

Remember: Each post using our tools (links, widgets, Looks, lists, etc.) as well as any paid or sponsored campaigns, must include a clear and conspicuous disclosure.

1. Always include original content in your posts. Original content can be photos taken by you, product reviews, blog posts, recipes, tutorials, and more. You cannot use another source’s image to promote your Collective Voice affiliate link without explicit permission from the person and photographer.
2. Showcase yourself to tell a story. Include your personal perspective, stories, anecdotes, and so on. The more relatable, the better!
3. Avoid glitch deals and coupon/promotion stacking. It could result in non-commissionable orders and exclusion from retailers’ programs and/or our program. For the latest on which commissionable sales to promote, check out our weekly sales emails and blog posts.

• “Sephora’s big sale is here! Check out the must-have products currently in my cart: 1. VERB Dry Shampoo 2. Olaplex No 3 Treatment 3. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask” along with an image your took of your favorite products.
• “These slip-on shoes make it easy for my kids to get ready on their own.” pictured with a shoefie of the shoes so your followers can see and shop them!
• An Instagram reel of how easy clean up is after cooking with your Always Pan with the caption: “Clean-up after dinner has never been easier than with my Always Pan.” 
• A photo of your desk featuring your glasses captioned: “These are the blue-light glasses I can’t live without while working from home.”

For best practices on creating original content and photography, visit our Learning Center here.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Endorsement Guidelines are focusing more on influencers and disclosures for sponsored and affiliate content. Since we want to help you comply with FTC rules, here are best practices to follow when promoting any Collective Voice affiliate content, as well as sponsored content. Per our Terms & Conditions, you must adhere to FTC Endorsement Guidelines and disclose any time you use our tools. If you do not comply, ShopStyle Collective may terminate your ShopStyle Collective account and disclaim any obligation to pay you your earnings.

Each post using our tools (links, widgets, Looks, etc.) as well as any paid campaigns, must include a clear and conspicuous disclosure. When you receive product for free it is considered the same as being paid and must include a disclosure. By disclosing the relationship between you, the Merchant, and Collective Voice, a viewer of your posts can decide how much weight to give your endorsement.

Best practices to follow for all disclosures

• Disclosures must be next to the content to which it relates to; a viewer should not need to scroll to view the disclosure
• Disclosures must be in a font of the same size as the rest of your post
• Disclosures must be obvious, not buried in a long paragraph of unrelated text or hashtags
• Disclosures should be visible every place the post appears, not only be accessible by clicking a hyperlink such as your Bio or About Me page
• Always disclose if a brand sent you product for free. e.g: Revolve sent me this jumpsuit or #FreeSample c/o Revolve

Use the examples below as a baseline for how to craft clear, FTC-compliant messaging

Types of Disclosures for paid/sponsored campaigns:

• Facebook: #Sponsored, #Promotion, #PaidAd, #ad, #CommissionLink
• Instagram: #Sponsored, #Promotion, #PaidAd, #ad, #CommissionLink ** Please note the disclosure is recommended to be placed before the “more” link to open up and see more hashtags. Please note, when posting to Instagram, even if you utilize the “Paid partnership with [sponsor name]” tool, ShopStyle requires our creators to also use #sponsored or #ad.
• Blog post: “I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.”, and Sponsored by [sponsor name]
• Pinterest: #Sponsored, #Promotion, #PaidAd, #ad, #CommissionLink
• Video: Clearly state in the video that it’s sponsored by [sponsor name], that the content in this video has affiliate links you can make money off of when clicked on (if it does), and add in disclosure (#CommissionLink) under description in video.

Types of Disclosures for affiliate links used in blog and social posts:

• Facebook: #ad, #CommissionLink
• Instagram: #ad, #CommissionLink
• Blog post: “I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.”
• Pinterest: #ad, #CommissionLink
• Video: Clearly state in the video that it’s sponsored by [sponsor name], that the content in this video has affiliate links you can make money off of when clicked on, and add in disclosure (#CommissionLink) under description in video.
• TapTo.Shop #ad,  #CommissionLink added to the description section

Best practices to follow for all disclosures:

• Note: These hashtags are not approved by FTC: #sp, #spon, #partner and #partnership
• Disclosures must be next to the content to which it relates to; a viewer should not need to scroll to view the disclosure
• Disclosures must be in a font of the same size as the rest of your post
• Disclosures must be obvious, not buried in a long paragraph of unrelated text or hashtags
• Disclosures should be visible every place the post appears, not only be accessible by clicking a hyperlink such as your Bio or About Me page
• Always disclose if a brand sent you product for free. e.g: Revolve sent me this jumpsuit or #FreeSample c/o Revolve

Thanks for being a part of our community! If you have further questions see here for official answers from the FTC. The Fashion Law also has informative content surrounding FTC guidelines for influencers.