In the fall of 2009 the FTC decided to intervene in the world of product reviews and blogging. I had been reviewing books since 2007. Suddenly the publishing companies I worked with began sending me notices warning of the consequences if I didn’t comply with the new blogger disclosure notices. Note: They also updated again with new regulations.

All giveaways, reviews or  sponsored posts  must now include a disclosure notification if you received a free product for review or were paid. This can be as simple as “I received a product for review purposes” or “This is a sponsored post.”  The FTC wants a full disclosure of your connection to a product. You can do this three ways. Put a disclosure at the top of the post before any words. You can add it to the bottom information of the first picture or work it “naturally” into the first paragraph. Most companies you work with will let you know how they want it added to the post.  As far as I know, disclosure at the bottom of the post is no longer allowed and disclosure must come BEFORE the first sponsored link.

Examples:
At Top of Post: “This is a sponsored post (if you get paid) or partnered post (if you didn’t get paid or don’t want to say sponsored). All Opinions are my own.”  (see these posts as  examples:
5 Parenting Tips I wish I Had Known
Flavor and Philanthropy with Dr. Pepper

Worked into the 1st paragraph of the post:  “I love peaches. That’s why I was so excited to partner with XYZ to bring you my favorite peach ice cream recipe.”
(Note: I prefer not to do the sponsored post disclosure this way because I prefer it to be visible at a glance, but we do use this method occasionally.)
Example: 4 Bingeworthy shows for History Buffs

Added Beneath the First Picture that I have added immediately after the 1st paragraph. 
See these posts as examples:
The Best Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake
Blue Cheese and Bacon Salad

It’s also wise to add that other’s experiences and opinions may vary. I know from personal experience that I have tried things I loved but my family didn’t and vice versa. It’s a personal opinion!

You also have to disclose on Social Media; including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or Google Plus.
You can use any of the following:  #Ad, AD, #Sponsored,  Sponsored, #Partnered, Partnered. You can no longer use #spon or spon.
For Travel you can use #ad, #travelpartner or #partner. (Without the hashtags is fine too.) Hosted is no longer recommended.
I prefer not to use hashtags unless I am asked. If it is paid I usually use AD, if it is a review, I use partnered or sponsored.

If you’d like a nice, neat disclosure policy you can add as a link onto your site, visit CMP.ly which will help you create your own personalized disclosure policy. (Note: You still have to have a disclosure on each sponsored or review blog post.)

Another site some  bloggers use is Blog with Integrity. Before displaying this message on your blog, you must sign a pledge asserting that you will treat others respectfully, respect intellectual property rights, and disclose my material relationships, policies and business practices. (Note: You still have to have a disclosure on each sponsored or review blog post.)

When posting a contest be very clear and detailed in the rules about sponsorship.  What are you giving away and who is the blog partner for the prize? Be sure these are clearly stated in your post.  

While I have never been required to produce any of this information to the FTC,  I  keep a detailed spreadsheet  and planner of any products I review  and of their approximate value. I also keep a detailed spreadsheet and planner of my income so I can use all of this at tax time.

What questions do you have? Feel free to ask! You can email me using the address on the sidebar.

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