FTC Declares War On Bloggers
October 9th, 2009
·
by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: Marketing Strategy · Podcasts
NEW FTC GUIDELINES CRACK DOWN ON PAID BLOG PROMOTERS
New rules from the FTC could trigger $11,000 fines per incident of non-disclosure on bloggers who are being paid to promote various products and services.
If you are an internet marketer using a blog to promote an affiliate product, you may want to pay special attention to this new ruling. The basic premise of the ruling is to curb the activity of “fake blogs” that purport to be unbiased individuals who are actually being paid a commission for driving sales to a particular product. For example, everyone has seen the blog site and advertisements that claim some stay-at-home mom has discovered a natural way that you can whiten your teeth for under five bucks. It attempts to come across as a person breaking information about a new discovery, but leads to an advertisement for a teeth whitening product.
In a nutshell, the rule states that you can no longer include testimonials for your product you are promoting without being truthful about the “real” average person’s experience. Previously, you could get away with stating “results not typical” at the end of the advertisement. But that won’t work any more. If your typical customer doesn’t lose an ounce after taking your weight loss product for 6 months, then you would have to include a statement as such. You would either have to disclose the truth or just don’t include any testimonials at all.
Some people think the new FTC rule means bigger government delving into the private affairs of citizens. Others think it is a necessary action to cut down on deceptive advertising. What do YOU think? Click on the Podcast icon to listen to the audio, then share your thoughts below!
