What to Expect When Watching He Spoke Style Videos With Sponsored Content
What’s up, guys? I’m Brian Sacawa, you’re watching He Spoke Style, and today I just wanted to take a little bit of time to talk about sponsored content and sponsored videos on this channel. So the reason I wanted to bring up this topic now is because of what has been going on in the comments of one of my previous videos. The video I’m talking about is Expensive Products Worth The Money. It’s right up there. You can watch it. And several people in the comments were, let’s just say, fairly cynical. I kept getting a specific type of comment which was along the lines of, oh, you’re talking about a specific brand, they must have paid to be in this video, you’re not talking about that, you’re not disclosing it, shame on you, you’re not credible, you suck. Now, the majority of comments were not like this but there were enough of this type of comment that I just wanted to come out, and put something on video to clarify where I stand on this and what you can expect.
Disclosing Sponsored Content: A Good Business Practice
First of all, none of the brands mentioned in that video paid to be in that video. I’ve been doing He Spoke Style for over six years and during that time, I have taken transparency when it comes to sponsored content very seriously. There are lots of people who don’t, but I do. I’ve always considered it very important to be upfront and honest about that. I think it’s very important in terms of credibility. I think it’s important when it comes to running a good business. I cannot get over the hypocrisy of people who say I’m an entrepreneur, I’m building a business, but then they show no regard for running a business properly within this space by not disclosing their relationships with brands. It happens all the time. I have seen it my entire career within the digital space. Now how do I show that content is sponsored?
How to Know If a Video is Sponsored on He Spoke Style
Well, we do it very clearly and conspicuously. And I just want to walk you through how you will know that content is sponsored or paid for on our three biggest channels, YouTube, the He Spoke Style website and our Instagram account. Let’s just start with YouTube because that is where you’re watching this video. Now, if a video is sponsored on our channel you will know about it in at least two ways. First, after I do my usual intro, what’s up guys? I’m Brian Sacawa, you’re watching He Spoke Style, blah blah blah, and then the graphic rolls, pretty much the first thing I will say is, big thanks to Brand X for sponsoring this video. Or this video is presented in partnership with the such-and-such brand. That will always be upfront, one of the very first things you hear. Not buried somewhere two or three minutes into the video or halfway through the video. Not how I’m going to do it. People see right through you if you try to hide it.
Sponsored Content: How to Spot & Avoid Fake Sponsorships
Second, you will always see that the video is sponsored in the video’s description. It will be among the first things you read and it will also be at the bottom of the description as well where you will see, FTC: this video is sponsored by or presented in partnership with Brand X.Now let’s talk about the website. At the top of any sponsored post, right below the deck, you will see the text, in partnership with Brand X.Or this post is sponsored by Brand X.If you like, you can click through on partnership which will take you to a page with a complete rundown of how we view brand partnerships and transparency and more information about how you will know whether something is sponsored. Definitely give that a read. Also, all brand partnerships on the website are designated in the collaborations category. If you take a look at the header and then go to the features drop-down menu, you will see the collaborations category. Click on that and you will see every single sponsored post we have ever done.
 Disclosing Sponsored Brand Endorsements on Instagram
Now, Instagram. Instagram has a tool where you choose that you have a business partner for that specific post and it will display paid partnership with whatever brand is right underneath your Instagram handle. It is customary and required to use either #ad or #sponsored. I’m sorry but #BrandXPartner is not an adequate disclosure. I don’t do that. What I do use is #HSSPartner and that is not for the brand or the FTC but rather for our own ability to go back and quickly search through all the sponsored posts that we have done. Now sometimes I will run into a situation where I have a paid partnership with a brand, and this is happening more and more nowadays, where the scope of work is generally for website content plus Instagram but no video. Now, of course, because we are putting more emphasis on video in terms of developing our brand, we will make video content even if it is not in the contracted scope of work. Why? Well, it shows our video capability as the channel continues to grow.
Making an impactful partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre
And it gives the brand added value, which shows them that we are willing to go above and beyond for them and help us build a really strong relationship for the future. So recently this has happened with our partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre.We went to Miami with them to make content for Instagram and the website, but as you saw on the channel, we did end up making a lookbook video that showcased the watch three ways, which we then packaged as three separate outfit videos for IGTV. As I said, this was not part of the contracted scope of work but in the description of that video you can read the following, I had, FTC: this video is not sponsored. I did a paid partnership with Jaeger-LeCoultre on Instagram and the He Spoke Style website, however, this video was not included in the contracted scope of work. I thought that was a good way to be transparent about it even though the video itself was not sponsored.
How to Know if a Video on the He Spoke Style YouTube Channel
So that is a rundown of my views on transparency as a relates to sponsored content or paid content as well as how you will know whether a video on the He Spoke Style YouTube channel, website or Instagram account was sponsored. I hope that was helpful. I hope that clears things up. If you have questions, please leave those down below. I will gladly answer all of them. Thumbs up.Subscribe.And until next time, thanks for watching, and stay tailored.
