Bloggers, Affiliates, the FTC and Disclosure

[Linda Buquet]

Affiliate link disclosure is a hotly debated topic. Well now it looks like the <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/11/P034520endorsementguides.pdf">FTC is planning to regulate</a> disclosure, as well as false or exaggerated claims.

<strong><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/21/AR2009062101107.html">FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, payments - Washington Post</a>
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"New guidelines, expected to be approved late this summer with possible modifications, would clarify that the agency can go after bloggers — as well as the companies that compensate them — for any false claims or failure to disclose conflicts of interest."

Conflict of interest as explained in the Post story includes payment, gifts and even freebies given in exchange for a blog post, recommendation or review. The article is focused primarily on blogs but I assume sites would be held accountable too.

<strong>So like it or not, it looks like affiliate links are going to need to be disclosed.</strong>

<strong>Today Brian Clark at CopyBlogger wrote a dynamite post about how to turn ugly link disclosures into an actual selling benefit.</strong> It's a excellent read filled with info you'll need to deal with the upcoming FTC guidelines.

<strong><a href="http://www.copyblogger.com/affiliate-marketing-disclosure/">How to Turn Affiliate Marketing Disclosure Into a Selling Point</a></strong>

Other good coverage:

<strong><a href="http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/ftc-guidelines/">Proposed FTC Guidelines &amp; How They Affect Affiliates &amp; Bloggers</a>

<a href="http://www.seobook.com/ftc-going-after-bloggers-epic-fail">FTC Going After Bloggers = Epic Fail</a></strong>

 

[MzJme]

Thanks Linda...I seen this on Twitter earlier and read the post, but hadn't had time to really research it. I logged on here to ask and you already had it posted. Once Again, THANKS