Sponsorship & Brand Partnerships

Last updated: June 10, 2026 Version: 2026-06-10

This policy applies to anyone who creates content on So You Sew (a "Creator") and accepts compensation — money, free products, store credit, affiliate commissions, gifted PR — from a third party ("Brand") in exchange for that content. It supplements the Terms of Service, Community & Marketplace Rules, and Acceptable Use Policy.

1. What counts as sponsored content

Content is "sponsored" if any of the following is true:

• A Brand paid you cash, store credit, or affiliate commission for posting it
• A Brand sent you the product, fabric, pattern, tool, or service for free (or at a meaningful discount) in exchange for posting about it ("gifted PR")
• You receive ongoing perks (free shipping, early access, exclusive products) from a Brand in connection with making content
• You are an ambassador, affiliate, brand rep, or member of a Brand's creator program
• You are an employee, owner, or contractor of the Brand
• You have any other "material connection" to the Brand that a reasonable viewer would want to know about

If you're unsure whether something counts, the safe answer is disclose.

2. Required disclosures (FTC compliance — non-negotiable)

So You Sew is a U.S. company. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") requires that material connections to a Brand be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the content itself. Many other jurisdictions (UK ASA, EU UCPD, Canadian Competition Bureau, Australian AANA) require similar disclosure. All Creators must follow the rules below regardless of where they live.

2.1. Must be in the content itself

Disclosure must appear on the post (caption, image overlay, or first 1–2 lines of long-form text). A profile-bio disclosure, an FAQ link, or a separate page is not sufficient.

2.2. Must be clear and unambiguous

Use plain language that a reasonable viewer would understand. Acceptable examples:

• "Sponsored by @brandname"
• "Paid partnership with @brandname"
• "#ad — @brandname sent me this fabric to try"
• "Thanks @brandname for the gifted [item]"
• "I'm a @brandname ambassador and received this product for free"

Not acceptable — these are too vague or hidden:

• "thx @brandname 💕" (no disclosure)
• "#sp", "#partner", "#collab", "#hosted", "#gifted" used alone, or buried at the end of 30+ hashtags
• "Affiliate link in bio" without per-post disclosure
• Putting "#ad" in a sea of hashtags below a "more" / "see more" fold
• Using a Brand's logo or unique hashtag as if it were a disclosure

2.3. Must be near the top

Place the disclosure where viewers will see it before they engage with the content — in the first line of the caption, the first sentence of long-form text, or an overlay on the first slide of a carousel.

2.4. Must match the platform

The disclosure must be visible without tapping "see more", switching tabs, or visiting another screen. If the post is media-only (a single image with no caption), put the disclosure as a text overlay on the image.

2.5. Must be present every time

Re-disclose on every sponsored post. Disclosing once and assuming followers remember is not enough.

3. Honesty rules

Beyond disclosure, sponsored content must be honest:

• You must have actually used the product or service before recommending it. "I love this!" with no prior use is prohibited.
• Claims about results ("this needle never breaks", "this fabric never wrinkles", "this pattern is beginner-friendly") must be truthful and substantiated by your own experience.
• Do not omit material drawbacks. If a product has obvious issues, your post must reflect them or at least not mislead.
• Health, safety, and "performance" claims must be true. Do not make claims that the Brand itself could not legally make.
• Do not pretend to be an independent reviewer of a Brand you are paid to promote.

4. Off-platform payment ban (creator-side)

The Community & Marketplace Rules prohibit moving marketplace transactions off-platform. The sponsorship analogue:

• It is fine for you to receive sponsorship payments from a Brand outside So You Sew. We do not host or facilitate creator-brand payments.
• It is not fine to use So You Sew to broker payments for sponsored content, to ask buyers to pay you on PayPal/Venmo for content, or to advertise sponsored marketplace listings as "DM me to pay off-app".

5. Disallowed sponsorships

You may not accept or promote sponsorships involving:

• Any item or service that violates the Community & Marketplace Rules — counterfeit goods, IP-infringing patterns, hazardous materials, weapons, drugs, alcohol/tobacco/cannabis, food, animals, recalled items, MLM/pyramid offerings, etc.
• Get-rich-quick schemes, "hustle culture" courses with unsubstantiated income claims, or financial products you are not licensed to promote
• Crypto, NFTs, tokens, or speculative-investment offerings
• Diet, weight-loss, or supplement products without strong scientific backing
• Loans, payday-style lending, or credit-repair services
• Adult content, gambling, or political-campaign advertising
• Products targeted to minors when the post implies you, the Creator, are a minor or when the disclosure is hidden
• Anything illegal where the post is viewed

We may add to this list at our discretion if we identify a category that creates risk for the community.

6. Brand-supplied content

If a Brand sends you a script, talking points, or pre-edited media:

• You must still disclose per §2.
• You must not claim the content as your original opinion if it was written by the Brand.
• You must not present Brand marketing copy as if you wrote it; quote it or paraphrase honestly.

7. Affiliate links

If you post affiliate, referral, or revenue-sharing links:

• Disclose on the post (e.g., "Affiliate link — I earn a small commission if you buy through it.").
• Do not cloak the affiliate link as a coupon, giveaway, or community resource without disclosure.
• Do not stack multiple affiliate redirects to obscure the destination.

8. Giveaways & contests

If a Brand is sponsoring a giveaway you're running on So You Sew:

• The first line of the giveaway post must say "Sponsored by @brandname".
• The rules must be linked or pinned in a clear location.
• Mandatory disclosure of any "no purchase necessary" alternative if your jurisdiction (most U.S. states) requires it.
• We may take down giveaways that look like lottery schemes or that involve disallowed Brands (§5).

9. Tax responsibility

You — not So You Sew, not the Brand — are responsible for reporting sponsorship income and the fair-market value of free products in the jurisdictions where you are taxable. We do not issue 1099-NEC, T4A, or equivalent forms for sponsorship income because we are not the source of the payment.

10. Children & minors

If you are under 18, you may not enter into commercial sponsorship agreements through this platform. Brands must obtain consent from a parent/guardian. We may remove sponsored content that appears to be posted by a minor without disclosed parental consent.

11. Enforcement

Violations of this policy are treated under our standard strike system:

• First missed disclosure that's clearly a sponsorship: warning + edit-or-remove request.
• Second missed disclosure, or any first-time violation of §3 (honesty), §5 (disallowed category), §6 (impersonation of authorship), or §10 (minors): strike (severity 2).
• Pattern of missed disclosures, deceptive claims, or disallowed sponsorships: strike (severity 3), suspension of marketplace privileges, and/or permanent ban.
• We will cooperate with FTC, ASA, and equivalent regulators if requested in writing.

Strikes follow the schedule in the Community & Marketplace Rules — three strikes within 90 days triggers an automatic 30-day marketplace suspension.

12. Reporting

If you see content you believe is undisclosed sponsorship, hidden affiliate marketing, or a disallowed Brand promotion:

• Tap Report on the post and choose "Spam or misleading" or "Something else".
• For repeat offenders or for content that appears to violate FTC rules in a way that hurts the community, email chambersjohn310@gmail.com with screenshots and post links.

13. We're not your agent

So You Sew is not your manager, your booking agent, or party to any agreement between you and a Brand. We don't review, approve, sign, or guarantee any sponsorship contract you enter. Your deal with a Brand is solely between you and the Brand.

14. Changes

We may update this policy. Material changes will be announced in-app with at least 14 days' notice (per Terms of Service §18). Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact

• chambersjohn310@gmail.com — sponsorship policy questions, violation reports, and legal/regulator requests