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Affiliate Advice: FTC Rules and Regulations
The new FTC rules for affiliate marketing mean that anyone who gets a commission for referring customers to products needs to disclose their affiliate status. This means that everyone needs to tell visitors to their websites, blogs, on forum posts, on twitter, etc. that they will get a commission if someone buys a product they promote with an affiliate link.
To get the scoop straight from the horses mouth, read the FTC press release.
By the way, Handmade Results has an affiliate program. You get 33.3% of any membership you refer. That’s recurring too so it can really add up and give you a tidy little income. To get your coded link, go to your members page and “get money” or “affiliate tools” link on the right hand side.
If you do use those links, be sure to use a disclosure statements like one of the examples below!
Trying to think of ways to word your disclosure statements when you promote affiliate products?
Here are some great ideas:
“Just so you’ll know, I do proudly support this website by using affiliate marketing – meaning that every product link you click on earns me a small commission if you choose to buy something (except Google ads). These small commissions continue to fund this site and allow me to keep it up and running. Thank you for your continued support and all your purchases, comments, clicks and visits.”
That’s a great one. I’m going to use it myself. That comes courtesy of Debbie, a fellow SiteBuildit! website owner.
Here’s an example of one I used on a recent blog post, and one that applies to this page too:
P.S.: I love SBI and believe that it is the best website building service so I do promote it shamelessly. Why? Because it works! And yes, if you decide to purchase SBI through one of the links on this site I do earn a commission. But even if I wasn’t getting a commission, I’d still promote it shamelessly because it really helped me break through the biggest online business hurdle – understanding this stuff enough to make it work, and giving me the tools, confidence, and support to follow through and persevere. So a superb website building platform for you, and a commission for me to continue putting out great content. A win-win don’t you think?
Here’s a nice way to put a disclosure on a physical product:
I myself use their makeup, and really like it. The lipstick
is creamy and covers well. (I bought some to try too). I do
have an affiliate relationship with the company, so I would
receive a small commission if you buy through my site. It
helps to support this website. The cost to you is the same
as if you bought it directly from the company.
I’d love to hear more ideas, so if you have a great disclosure statement share it below!
My own disclosure: This is not legal advice. I am not a lawyer, so as a businessperson, as always, get your own legal advice.
I'm Christine Gierer, jewelry maker, online marketer, and founder of Handmade Results.
Are citizens of countries outside of the U.S. bound by this? I don’t see how they could be.
Maureen,
How I understand it, is that is you’re not US based, then the FTC can’t seize your assets, but if you use an American webhost, you could get penalized somehow that way. I’d hate to lose my business because my webhost pulled the plug ovedr something like this!
It still remains to be seen as to how this transpires so I like to err on the side of caution.
Even though I’m in Canada, I use a US based webhost (Momwebs), and I use Clickbank to promote my WireWorkSecrets affiliate program (also US based). As an affiliate manager as well as a promoter, I need to ensure that my affiliates follow the FTC guidelines since the majority of my customers are in the US. At least that’s how I’m reading it. I’m not freaking out, but I’m still applying the guidelines as time permits – especially on new content.
(At time of writing I still have to put up blanket statements somewhere in my TOS. It’s on my to-do list, but not on my OMG-I-have-to-do-this!-list. If I was U.S. based maybe it would be on the OMG list).
SBI! doesn’t emphasize it, but they are also Canadian based, but SiteSell (the company name) is encouraging people to follow the new guidelines regardless.
I understand that the U.S. Customs people is also not shy of turning back visitors at the border for the smallest reason either, so the FTC might flag you if you fail to comply. A little paranoid, maybe, but I’ve heard strange search and seizure ask questions later stories about the FTC (that’s why affiliate marketers are all flipping out) so if you travel to the U.S. that might be something to think about too.
Better safe than sorry!