FTC Endorsement Guides: Who Qualifies and What You Get
Learn the disclosure rules for using influencers and affiliate marketing to ensure your business stays compliant with federal advertising standards.
These guidelines provide the rules for how businesses must handle endorsements and testimonials in their advertising. They ensure that consumers know when a person is being paid or rewarded to promote a product.
Who it's for
This is for business owners who use influencers or affiliate marketing to promote their products. If you pay someone or give them free items to talk about your brand, these rules apply to you.
What you get
You receive clear compliance standards for advertising. These rules explain how to handle disclosures so that your marketing is honest and transparent about any brand partnerships.
What it costs you
There is no direct fee to follow these rules, but it does require time and effort. You must carefully monitor all your marketing materials and the content created by your partners to ensure they are following the rules.
The catch to know
The biggest risk is failing to clearly disclose a paid partnership. If your influencers or affiliates do not make it obvious that they are being compensated, you could face heavy fines from the government.
How to apply
- Review the guidelines to understand what counts as a disclosure.
- Create clear rules for your influencers and affiliates to follow.
- Regularly check all promotional content to ensure honesty.
- Visit the official portal for more detailed guidance: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking