Bloggers, Affiliate Marketers Must Be FTC Compliant by December 1

Though many may be running in fear from the new rules set out by the FTC that will go into effect December 1, 2009, legitimate and upstanding affiliate and internet marketing businesses have nothing to fear if they provide the potential customer with the necessary disclaimers.

What Do The New Rules Mean?

Bottom line if you sell anything on the internet, your own products or market others’ products, you must provide disclaimers and notices to your potential customers of the relationships you have with other vendors and or affiliate products — and let people know that they may not achieve the results you’ve achieved with the products you are recommending and basically inform them of your affiliate relationship.

The idea behind this is “Buyer Beware.”

And we all know what it’s like to be taken in by a disreputable affiliate or internet marketer.  The idea is that all these relationships must be disclosed up front on the page of every blog with a link to a more lengthy disclosure.

A Lot of Internet Marketers May Be Afraid

Thinking that they may be losing business — but if you’re honest, have integrity, stand behind your products and only link to those affiliate products that can offer guarantees or honest products that actually provide a service — there is nothing to worry about, as long as you read up on the required disclosures and provide them to your customers.

Get Legal Advice

I am not an attorney and cannot tell you how to handle this on your own website – so if you are concerned get legal advice.

For more information on the FTC regulations, read here:  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

Protect Your Customers

Legitimate marketers know that scammers are the bane of our existence.  How is a reputable marketer to do business when so many scammers look like the real thing.

This solution provided by the FTC may be something that can help, but as we all know, crooks find a way around any system.  But we need not worry about those who are operating in the shadows, if we ourselves make sure we’re operating in the light.

So all in all, I think this is a good thing whose time has come.

Tags: affiliate programs, Business, Federal Trade Commission, Marketing, Website