[Hidden-tech] Disclaimers on sites

[Tish Grier]

Marcia:

you are correct.  However, over the years, many, many bloggers have endorsed products without disclosing that they were either paid or compensated otherwise for their endorsement.  I came across this on an initiative I worked for with a top agency client.  I was the one who discovered that previous bloggers had been paid to endorse the initiative and DID NOT DISCLOSE that they were paid (in some cases a $25 gift card) for their blog posts.

THIS IS WHY THE FTC HAS RULED AND WRITTEN ON BLOGGER ENDORSEMENTS AND ARE CURRENTLY POLICING BLOGGER OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND ENDORSEMENTS.  

Having worked directly with the blogging community since 2006, I can tell you that some did not mention they were paid because of  either ignorance on the part of some, or outright deception on the part of others.  More the former than the latter.  THIS HAS CHANGED DUE TO THE FTC CRACKDOWNS.  

This is why if someone is wanting to engage with bloggers in any way--through blogger outreach, etc-- , they should deal with someone who knows something about the evolving ethics of social media, blogging being a part of that.  The rules in social media change at lightning speed, and if this is not one of the areas you spend time reading about on a daily basis you might miss some of the changes going on.

And that's why I specialize in these things: because I've been doing it for 7 years now, because I find it fascinating, and I read up on it every day.  It doesn't help, too, that the advisories, recommendations, etc., are not widely publicized.  it makes them difficult to find.

Best,
Tish


 
Social Media Strategy, Content, Community & Analysis

TishGrier.com
HighFashion, Average Woman
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land: 413-203-1339
cell: 413-265-1500



________________________________
 From: Marcia Yudkin <yudkinyudkin at yahoo.com>
To: Hidden-Tech Listserv <hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net> 
Sent: Friday, August 2, 2013 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Hidden-tech] Disclaimers on sites
 


Tish Grier wrote:



>>For instance, if a blogger runs particular kinds of affiliate programs, the blogger could say that he/she does not endorse the products and is only advertising them.  <<

Forgive me, but what business does a blogger have joining an affiliate program and promoting a product that he or she does not believe in and is not willing to "endorse"?

>>Disclaimers are also
 important if a blogger is writing a post about a product and has never used the product.  Then, the blogger has to state that what they are writing is a "sponsored blog post."  This is another FTC reg.  <<

A blogger cannot imply that he/she has used a product when they haven't, regardless of whether or not a post is labeled as "sponsored."  That would be flat-out lying and counts as deceptive advertising.

Marcia Yudkin
Copywriting mentor/author/consultant
www.yudkin.com

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