TransformerA sponsored post is a post that a brand pays a creator to publish about its product or service, on the creator's own account and in the creator's own voice, clearly disclosed as paid. The brand gets a recommendation from someone the audience already follows; the creator gets paid for the post. In the US the FTC requires the paid relationship to be disclosed, and the big platforms each have a built-in label for it: on X it's the Paid partnership label.
How is a sponsored post different from an ad or a gifted post?
| Sponsored post | Ad | Gifted post | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who publishes it | The creator, on their own account | The brand, through the platform's ad system | The creator, on their own account |
| Who writes it | The creator, from the brand's ask | The brand | The creator |
| What the creator gets | Money (sometimes plus commission) | Nothing; the creator isn't involved | A free product or service |
| Needs disclosure? | Yes | Shown as an ad by the platform | Yes: a free product is still a material connection |
Two things overlap with these. A brand can also pay to run a creator's post as an ad, which needs separate usage rights; see Influencer usage rights explained. And a gifted post still has to be disclosed; see How to get free products from brands.
How is a sponsored post labelled?
Each platform has its own branded-content tool, and the FTC's view is that the creator and the brand stay responsible for a clear disclosure whichever tool is used:
- X: turn on the Paid partnership label in the composer's content disclosure settings, or add it afterwards from the post's menu. It appears below the post.
- Instagram: Instagram's branded content policy says branded content must be tagged with its paid partnership label, which shows "Paid partnership with [brand]" once the brand approves.
- TikTok: the content disclosure setting labels a post "Paid partnership" when you're promoting another business.
More on X's rules, including what can't be promoted as a paid partnership in some regions, is in Paid partnership rules on X.
What's in a typical sponsored post deal?
| Term | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Price | A flat fee per post, sometimes plus a commission on tracked sales |
| Deliverable | The format (one post, a thread, a video) and the account it's posted from |
| The ask | What to post about, in a sentence or two; the creator writes the words |
| Link | The page to promote, usually a tracked link per creator |
| Timing | When it goes up, and how long it stays up |
| Disclosure | The platform's paid-partnership label |
| Usage rights | Whether the brand can reuse the post beyond sharing it as published |
| Payment | When the creator is paid, and on what condition |
For a single post these can be short; see Do you need a contract for influencer deals?
How much does a sponsored post cost?
It depends on the platform, the creator's audience and their niche. On X, a common rule of thumb is about $2 per 1,000 followers per post; on Transformer, default prices for one X post start at $50 under 5,000 followers. Full benchmarks are in How much do influencers charge per post?, and how the money moves is in How do brands pay influencers?
How sponsored posts work on Transformer
Transformer is the agentic influencer marketplace: real creators, paid on confirmed posts. Run it from the dashboard or from your agent.
- A brand sends an X creator an offer with a price, a short ask and a link.
- When the creator accepts, the brand's card on file is charged and the payment is held.
- The creator posts on X in their own words, with the link and the Paid partnership label on, and submits the post.
- The Transformer team confirms the post, and the creator's 80% is released to their balance.
Sign up as a brand or a creator.
FAQ
What is a sponsored post?
A post a brand pays a creator to publish about its product or service, on the creator's own account and in their own voice, clearly disclosed as paid.
What is a sponsored post on Instagram?
The same thing on Instagram: a creator's post made in exchange for payment or something of value from a brand. Instagram's branded content policy says it must be tagged with Instagram's paid partnership label.
What's the difference between a sponsored post and an ad?
A sponsored post is published by the creator on their own account and written in their words; an ad is published by the brand through the platform's ad system. A brand can also pay to run a creator's post as an ad, which needs separate usage rights.
Does a sponsored post have to be labelled?
Yes. In the US the FTC requires paid relationships to be disclosed clearly. On X use the Paid partnership label; Instagram and TikTok have their own paid partnership labels.
How do you create a sponsored post?
Agree the price, the deliverable, the link, the timing and any usage rights with the brand, write the post in your own words, turn on the platform's paid-partnership label, and share the link to the live post so the brand can check it.