What I Discovered
- I think the most concise version of guidelines is here : http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/adv/bus71.shtm.
- The page above was a great improvement over the following guide, but if you are used to legalese or just like reading government documents, this is the one you will want: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf
- Like any government agency, the FTC's "clarification" is less than perfect. However, an email address has been provided so you can ask specific questions endorsements@ftc.gov.
Between deceptive practices in the banking, mortgage and pharmaceutical industries, FTC is not focusing on bloggers at this time. However, if you are a marketer, you should have a disclosure policy that is easy to find and labeled "Disclosure" on your blog.
Luckily, disclosure and honesty have been the standard operating procedure for most bloggers who write paid posts or sell advertisements on their blogs. I have a disclosure policy and a statement of blogging ethics.
If I find other sites as I explore, I will be back to post them.
Tags:
