Are you promoting products in your web site or blog? Do you earn a commission if people buy those products using your affiliate link? Do you clearly disclose that relationship in your blog?

In FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing (link via CopyBlogger.com), posts in a web blog can constitute word-of-mouth marketing. And if word-of-mouth marketers do not disclose those business relationships, legal action might be taken against them.

If the affiliate links are displayed only as a basic product catalog, do we need to mark those links as "(aff)" links? Or is disclosure needed only if we write a glowing review right next to our affiliate link?

If we bash a product and then offer an affiliate link, will we be required to disclose the potential commission earnings if the visitor or customer is from the United States?

Don't think that it's just the writers or bloggers that are going to be affected by this. Even the merchants may soon see an impact on sales generated by their affiliates. Then again, customers might become so used to seeing the (aff) mark beside clickable links, that they develop some kind of disclosure blindness.

Well, just as in BuzzMarketing, if you can get people to talk or rave about your product even if they earn zero commissions in the process, then this disclosure business will be moot. Or will people soon expect bloggers to disclose that they have NO business relationship with the merchants of the product they're praising?

Anyway, let's see how things go as business and the internet continue to evolve.

NOTE: None of the links in this post are affiliate links. ;-)

Follow Me: Twitter | FriendFeed
Bonus: Click Here To See How I Get 25-50 Free Visitors To My Website Every Single Day

Manuel Viloria is your helpful multimedia internet publishing coach who shows you how to make $100/day online. Whether it's through blogging, podcasting, article marketing, videoblogging, email listbuilding, or even through Web 2.0 or social network marketing, you can increase your website visitors today. For more information, please visit Get More Traffic | ManuelViloria.com.


Most Commented Posts


Please read the “RESPONSE REQUIRED” email verification message from manuelviloria@GMail.com and confirm your request, and the info will be sent to you in a matter of minutes. We respect your privacy and will never share your contact info. Thanks!