CONSUMER ALERT!

Run like the wind if your advertiser or marketer suggests you pay them to endorse or even mention your product or service on their blogs or social media sites without disclosing that fact. This so-called service should never be a part of your marketing campaign. Why? Because, according to the Federal Trade Commission, it’s illegal. And not only will the blogger or marketer be in web of trouble with the feds for this practice, you as the product or service provider, may be as well.

Celebrity or others’ endorsement-for-dollars-without-disclosure has, in fact, been illegal since 1980, but as of October 5, 2009, it also became illegal to do so online, on blogs, on social sites and on other media used by “word of mouth” marketers.  

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s news release on this subject:

“ …the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers (or social media marketers) who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service…and a paid endorsement – like any other advertisement – is deceptive if it makes false or misleading claims. “