Have you heard that the FTC has updated the .com Disclosures?? Their last update was in 2009 and a lot has changed (technology-wise) over the last few years. You can view the 53 page document here. So what does that mean for Bloggers? Well it means that we have to really disclose, disclose, disclose. If you thought your blog disclosure at the bottom of your post was sufficient enough, it’s no longer the rule.
For clarification purposes: a disclosure is a requirement to a post when you have been sponsored to do something for a brand or shop. Meaning you received product to review, you received services in exchange for doing something for that brand in the form of a post, etc etc etc.
The FTC even has a lovely Blogger Example on Page 51 of their new update. Let’s take a peek:
So, how many of you have been putting your disclosure at the tail end of your post??
If you are doing this, you are violating the FTC Guidelines. Your disclosure has to be CLEAR and CONSPICUOUS.
Those are their words. They have a Clear and Conspicuous Requirement for your disclosure. If you want to place your Disclosure at the end (which is NOT recommended..they call it “burying”), you better have arrows and notes scrolling all the way down your page pointing to your disclosure. And stating that those arrows and notes are leading them to your disclosure.
The FTC even goes as far as stating this on Page 17:
Here’s info on the Clear and Conspicuous Requirement on Page 12:
So, where do they say to put your disclosure at the top of your post? They don’t say that in exact terms. Their words are that your disclosure should be as close to your claim (that’s where the Clear and Conspicuous Requirement comes in), not buried in the advertisement, stands out from the rest of your text and before you start hyperlinking to different things.
Also, they have a rule for advertising on the Twitter!! (gasp!) I know, I know…no longer can you hashtag #spon or #ad at the end. You can’t be sneaky. Here’s their example on Page 44 and how they want you to specify that your tweet is advertising:
I highly recommend that if you choose to use an image graphic as your main disclosure information that you also disclose elsewhere in your post. Mobile platforms and hover text (your alt text in your image) can sometimes get lost in translation. So using a graphic solely to disclose your relationship about your paid post (or free product or whatever you were compensated with) is not effective and is not considered a meaningful disclosure. Also, if your disclosures are on separate pages (via mobile), that again is not a meaningful disclosure (aka clear, concise and conspicuous). You do not want a consumer to have to hunt for your disclosure.
So, now that that’s all clear…who’s got questions??? LOL
(Where I Party)
I absolutely love that graphic idea!
Thanks for the information! I am about to do my first product review of an item I received for free so this is a good thing to know!
Very informative- thanks!
how does this effect google’s policy that you can’t accept paid posts?
I would’ve never thought to use a graphic! smart thinking girlie 😉
I’ve always put it at the top of the post in a little pink box, so at least I won’t have to change that. But I LOVE your idea of making it a graphic so it doesn’t count as the 1st paragraph for SEO. Great thinking!
Love that you made it a graphic! Great idea!
Thanks! I had no idea…well maybe I just don’t pay attention!
Thanks for these examples. I like the idea of using a graphic… but my only concern with an image as my disclosure is that some browsers block or change how photos and graphics look. For example, my work’s browser blocks a LOT of photos. And blind people ‘read’ the internet via text. So the disclosure may not be visible to all. Hmm. Lots to think about!
Great post. I love the idea of making a disclosure graphic!
Best and easiest to understand post on these new disclosure guidelines I’ve yet to have read. Thanks so much for your breakdown!
Thank you!
The use of an image for the disclosure kind of seems like a loophole to get around Google’s SEO rule. I wouldn’t really be surprised if they came up with some solution to make those count as well.
However, I think that this is because a lot of bloggers will put in the disclosure but not make it visible. I’ve seen so many that will do that yet make it really tiny. A lot of companies are requesting for sponsored posts to NOT appear as sponsored, though, which is also another problem. In order to be compensated, they’re requiring sponsored posts to not at all be marked sponsored in any way, shape or form. I think that once they are taken care of and forced to follow the rules that more bloggers will start to follow the rules as well. If the companies would require said rules to be followed in order for said bloggers to receive compensation, then perhaps the rules would stop getting so strict.
The graphic idea is really helpful. Thanks for sharing this information!
I recently started accepting advertising on my blog through an ad network and didn’t know whether I had to disclose that because it wasn’t a sponsored post. I went ahead and created a disclosure for my blog anyway and put it in a prominent spot that readers can click just to be totally upfront with my readers. These are some great tips for sponsored content! Thank you SO MUCH!
I’m just starting my blog, and this was super helpful – thanks! I’m definitely going to use your idea of creating a graphic. Love it. 🙂
Here’s my question, So every post we do has a format of the following: Details, My Review, Pros, Cons, My Rating with the My Rating being a thumbs up or thumbs down picture. We’ve been putting Disclaimer between Cons and My Rating, should we change that?
I thought I’d heard before that the disclosure had to be text and not a graphic (because if the image didn’t display for any reason then the disclosure wouldn’t appear). Was that a thing at some point? Or am I imagining things? 🙂
Loveeeee the graphic idea!!!! Stealing 🙂 thanks!
But here’s my question; what about when it comes to outfit posts and items c/o… Any idea?
how do affiliate links (where you make a commission on click and/or purchase) factor into the new regulations? also, if you’re using an image for the disclosure at the beginning of a post, how do you prevent it from showing up as the main image on bloglovin? love your blogging edumacation series!
xo. jenn
Hi Taylor, this was very helpful – thank you so much!
Excellent tips. Most other articles I read on this topic missed the mark, but you didn’t!
Thanks for the tips! I am about to do my first book review so I am doing my research! Don’t want to get into trouble!