Why Creators Work
Audiences trust people more than they trust advertising, and creators are people who have earned that trust one post at a time. When a brand borrows it honestly, the results outperform most paid channels. When a brand abuses it, the audience notices first and the regulator notices second. Everything in this playbook exists to keep you on the right side of that line.
Hire the Right Way
Sourcing, vetting, briefing, and paying creators is a repeatable process, not a matchmaking mystery. How to Hire Creators walks through each step: where to find creators, what to pay, and how to brief so the content works without strangling the voice you hired.
Disclose Properly
Sponsored content carries disclosure obligations, and the FTC holds brands responsible alongside creators. The FTC Disclosure Guide explains the rules in plain English: what counts as a material connection, what clear and conspicuous means, and how to build disclosure into every brief.
Vet Before You Book
Fake followers, bought engagement, and off-brand history are discoverable before you sign, never after. Vetting Creators gives you the due-diligence checklist: real reach versus purchased reach, the engagement test, and the red flags that end a conversation early.
Put It in Writing
Deliverables, usage rights, exclusivity, and payment terms belong in the agreement, not in a DM thread. Creator Agreements for Brands covers the clauses that protect both sides and the rights mistakes that cost brands the content they thought they bought.
New to the Channel
If creator marketing is new territory, start with Influencer Marketing Basics: what the channel is, how it works, what it costs, and how to measure it without fooling yourself. No hype, no jargon, just the fundamentals.
Brand Safety
Every creator partnership puts your brand's name in someone else's hands, and no contract fixes a bad hire after the fact. CGA Verified confirms a creator's identity, eligibility, and commitment to professional conduct against a published standard, so the basics are settled before the first email. Look for the CGA Verified badge on a creator's Mosaic profile before you hire.
Get the Brand Briefing:
Hiring guides, rate benchmarks, FTC disclosure rules, and creator agreement checklists. Practical guidance for teams that work with creators, free from the CGAF. No pitch, no sales follow-up. Unsubscribe at anytime.
The Foundation is funded by donations from creators, brands, and institutions who believe the creator economy deserves real institutional support. Contributions to the Creators Guild of America Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. EIN 41-5345101.
Footnotes
Our eligibility requirements are thoughtfully crafted by a diverse committee of creative professionals from all backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity and representation across the industry.
We proudly support members from all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. As a Guild, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to fostering an environment of equality and acceptance for all.
As a non-profit organization, the dues paid by our members are reinvested into the Guild to fund events, legal costs, and continuous improvements, making sure to look after our volunteers and ensuring a vibrant future for all creators.
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