A digital marketing agency that builds disclosure into the campaign, not after it ships
A material connection is any relationship that might affect how people weigh an endorsement: cash, free or discounted product, affiliate commissions, gifted trips, or a family or employment tie. The size of the benefit does not matter, so a single gifted item still triggers disclosure. Map these connections for each creator before any content goes live.
Use plain language an ordinary viewer understands, such as advertisement, ad, sponsored, or paid partnership. Place it early and in the same medium as the claim: in the spoken or on-screen text of a video, not just the caption. The 2023 FTC guides treat disclosures buried after hashtags or hidden behind read more as failing the clear and conspicuous standard.
Built-in tools like Instagram Paid Partnership or a TikTok sponsored toggle can support a disclosure, but the FTC does not accept them as a complete one on their own. Add your own clear statement in the post and, for video, on screen. This keeps the disclosure visible even when the audience views the content outside the original feed.
Brands share responsibility for what creators publish, so set disclosure rules in writing, provide examples, and confirm creators understand them. Keep records of briefs and approvals, then review live posts to catch missing or buried disclosures. Build a simple step to fix or take down content that does not comply.
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“Harshit Handa”
Dcrayons provided website development and design services for our regulatory compliance and taxation company. On-time delivery was commendable. The team was supportive, provided timely deliverables, and communicated with us through virtual meetings throughout the engagement.
Corpify
CEO, Corpify
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“Insha Allah Khan”
The process was smooth and professional. Dcrayons delivered digital marketing for our beauty brand and the work landed measurable outcomes. 35% traffic increase, 45% social growth, and first-page Google rankings, with responsive management throughout.
Glowral
CFO, Glowral
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“Nirwana Jewellers Private Limited”
They ensure all campaigns go live as scheduled without delays. The e-commerce and digital marketing support raised engagement, website traffic, and sales, and the project oversight stayed organised and responsive across the engagement.
Nirwana Jewellers Private Limited
Chief Executive Officer
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“Nikhil Tiwari”
Dcrayons made everything right. We commissioned a website design + development build from scratch. it shipped on schedule with responsive adjustments through the review cycles and met the Google feature compatibility we needed.
Instacertify Labs Private Limited
Co-Founder, Instacertify Labs Private Limited
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“Rishab”
Their attention to detail and compliance-focused approach helps build a stronger and more sustainable business. Initially they ask for documentation many sellers find difficult to provide. that is exactly what sets them apart. They now also offer USA seller account management. Loved the service. Bestseller in 3 category.
GetSetNova
Founder, GetSetNova
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“Keratine Professional”
Dcrayons took our Amazon account from steady but flat to explosive growth: 180 percent more revenue, from Rs 1.82 crore to Rs 5.10 crore.
Keratine Professional
Salon-grade Hair Care on Amazon
Dcrayons has run influencer and content campaigns since 2016 across SEO, social, and e-commerce, and we treat disclosure as part of the creative process. We help you define material connections, draft disclosure language that reads naturally, place it where the audience will see it, and keep the records that show the campaign was run responsibly. When a question needs a legal answer, we tell you so and work with your lawyers to settle it.
We write disclosure requirements into creator briefs and contracts before content is produced, so compliance is planned rather than patched
We review video, image, and caption placement against the FTC clear and conspicuous standard, including on-screen disclosures for video
Real questions people ask Dcrayons about ftc influencer endorsements. Honest answers, no jargon.
The FTC requires disclosure of any material connection between the influencer and the brand, including payment, free or discounted products, affiliate commissions, and personal, family, or employment relationships. The disclosure must be clear, in plain language, and placed where the audience will notice it. It applies even when the benefit is small, such as a single free product.
A short tag such as #ad can work only if it is easy to notice and not buried in a long string of hashtags or hidden after a read more link. The disclosure must be hard to miss and understandable to an ordinary viewer. For video, the FTC expects the disclosure in the video itself, since people often watch without reading the caption.
No, not on their own. The FTC treats platform labels as something that can supplement a disclosure but does not accept them as a complete substitute. You should add your own clear statement in the post, and place an on-screen disclosure in video content so it stays visible if the post is reshared or viewed elsewhere.
Both can be held responsible. The influencer is responsible for disclosing their own connection, and the brand is expected to set clear rules, train creators, and monitor what gets published. Documenting briefs, contracts, and approvals helps show that the brand took reasonable steps to require disclosure.
Place the disclosure early and within the content itself, not after a block of hashtags or behind a more link. In video, put it in the spoken words or as on-screen text rather than only in the description, because viewers can watch without reading the caption. The goal is that a typical viewer sees or hears it without searching.
The FTC revised its Endorsement Guides in 2023 to reflect how brands reach people through social media and reviews. The update reinforced that disclosures must be clear and unavoidable, addressed disclosures inside videos rather than just captions, and clarified that platform tools alone are not enough. It also kept the focus on disclosing all material connections regardless of their size.
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