In the last post idid on the new FTC regulations, I went over how the new rules might affect endorsements. In this post, sick go over the part that may affect bloggers more than anyone else, although it will still have side effects for other web marketers also.
The second part of the new FTC rules that directly has effects on online marketers is the new duty of notification of material connections. This needs you to fess up to any connection youhave to the service that you are discussing, be it that you flat out got paid to try it, you did it for free product, or if you just got a trial. The large difference is if yousimply got the free trial because they were letting a bunch of people try it, or if they let you try it specifically as you would mention it in your blog. Heres the specific example that they give about blogging in the FTC Guidelines :
- A patron who constantly purchases a specific brand of dog food decides one day to buy a new, costlier brand made my the same manufacturer. She writes in her private blog that the change in diet has made her dogs fur noticeably softer and shinier, and that in her opinion, the new food is definitely worth the additional money. This posting wouldn’t be deemed an endorsement under the Guides.
- Assume instead of purchase the dog food with her very own money, the purchaser gets it for free because the store routinely tracks her purchases and its computer has generated a discount for a no-cost trial of this new brand. Again, her posting wouldn’t be deemed an endorsement under the Guides.
- Assume now the customer joins a social marketing program under which she intermittently receives various products about which shewill write reviews if she wants to do so. If she receives a free bag of the new dog treats through this program, her positive review would be considered an endorsement under the Guides.
Continue reading the rest about New FTC Guidelines
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