I recently posted my blog disclosure policy so the FTC police don’t abseil through my bedroom window at dawn-break and put me in prison to keep in-line with the recent FTC regulations recently enacted upon bloggers. Since I’m based in Ireland, I guess I didn’t really need to do it but I saw it as a perfect opportunity to help build trust (that sounds a bit weird doesn’t it? like I have something to hide – I don’t).
Most of my customers are based in the US anyway and just like the can-spam laws, it’s probably best to consider the FTC rulings as universal. Legally, not essential – just good ethical business.
If you’re looking for some more erudite information on the subject, check out what I’ve been reading to bring myself up to speed:
1. Most importantly, you should really read the official FTC press release regarding the rulings on affiliate disclosure and testimonials.
2. It’s pretty interesting (and entertaining) to read Frank Kern’s account of how he almost lost his shirt when his honest affiliate program backfired and his business was dragged through the mud by the FTC.
3. If you prefer to listen to an audio, Jim Edwards also conducted this interview with Rich Cleland, a FTC honcho.
4. Amongst the big bloggers, Brian Clark wrote a pertinent piece on leveraging your disclosure to build trust with your audience. David Risley published a similar piece on the opportunity presented by the ruling for those who are prepared to go further than simply towing the line. Yaro Starak created a simple 8-point checklist to ensure that your sites meet the laws laid down.
5. Tim Ferriss published a catch-all statement to disclose his affiliations and even provided a bunch of images that you can use if you choose and John Jonas translated the FTC ruling into simple-speak aimed specifically at bloggers.
6. Paul Colligan siezed the opportunity to relaunch his PaulRecommends.com blog specifically for promoting his affiliate marketing links with full disclosure and transparency. A smart move that I’m sure will become ever more prevalent amongst affiliate aiming to market through a strong customer relationship.
7. Finally, if you want to spend a little cash on learning about the FTC decisions and display a trust badge attesting to your sites’ compliance, Attorney Kevin Houchin has released a product explaining how to make your business FTC compliant . Obviously that link there is hardcoded with my affiliate ID so I’ll get a kickback if you buy it. To be honest, I haven’t even tried it myself so I’m not in a position to offer any advice that might influence your decision to buy. But James Holmes grilled Kevin in a brilliant podcast interview to explain how it can help clear up some of the finer points of the FTC statement.
