I’m sure you’ve seen disclosures on blogs. They tell you that there are affiliate links, or if it’s a sponsored post, things like that. They’re very important to have and can help keep you out of legal trouble. Bottom line is you always want to be open and upfront with your followers.

In the spirit of disclosures, I have to tell you that I’m not a legal expert in any way. All that you’ll see here has come from various places, including here. I give that blogger credit for the title of this as well.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversees consumer affairs and has laws in place to protect us from false, unfair, or misleading advertizing. With the explosion of blogging, YouTube, etc, they want to make sure everyone is playing on a level playing field. That means you want to be sure you’re not doing anything wrong, or that anyone could assume you have more authority than you do. That’s just part of it, but it’s a start.

Since many people actually do  make money blogging now, the FTC released .com Disclosures. How Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising in 2013 and endorsement guidelines in 2009.

You always need to use disclosures if for no other reason than it’s the law. I think that’s a pretty good reason, don’t you? You need to let your readers know That you’ve gotten paid or have some vested interest in a product. That you’re not just excited to tell them about something you’ve tried.

Put your disclosure near the ad or at the beginning of your post. Especially if it’s a sponsored post. You want people knowing right up front. If you have affiliate links in your post, make sure you mention that somewhere near the link.

This is a very brief discussion of disclosures. For a more in depth view, visit the link in the second paragraph. Jackie does a great job of explaining it all!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Big things are coming very soon!

~Nancy