Thank you for your participation in the [program name] affiliate program! We just want to take a moment to remind everyone about FTC disclosure requirements and the importance of compliance.
To maintain a positive standing within the [program name] affiliate program, affiliates are required to include a disclosure statement within any and all pages, blog/posts, or social media posts where affiliate links for the [program name] affiliate program are posted as an endorsement or review, and where it is not clear that the link is a paid advertisement.
Guidelines for adhering to the FTC requirements:
• Disclosures should be clear and concise.
• Disclosures must be made at the beginning of the claims and prior to the affiliate link appearing.
• Pop-ups, hover state and button disclosures are prohibited. Blanket disclosures that are posted in a separate section of your website will not suffice – they must be specific to the claim being made.
• Disclosures should be made in the same medium as the claim (e.g. video, text) and applies to all social media, even when space is constrained.
Helpful Tips:
• Ultimately, a disclosure should be “unavoidable”.
• Ask yourself: Would an average reader understand that there is a monetary relationship between you and [program name]? If not, it is likely that changes need to be made to the language included in the disclosure or the positioning.
Sample FTC disclosures:
• Blog Post (without receiving additional fee or bonus for posting review): This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
• Blog Post (while receiving additional fee or bonus for posting review): I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
• Social Media Post/Space Constrained Ads: #ad or #sponsored
It is important to note that these are our own interpretations based on our understanding of the FTC and affiliate marketing, and should not be used as legal advice. For further clarification, we recommend reviewing the information provided in the below links or reaching out to the FTC directly:
• FTC’s “Dot Com Disclosures” Guidelines: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2013/03/130312dotcomdisclosures.pdf
• FTC’s Endorsement Guidelines: http://business.ftc.gov/advertising-and-marketing
Thank you in advance for your compliance! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
An email I received this week (with 2 weeks notice) was a good reminder for any affiliates who are looking to put all their eggs in one basket: ——- Dear Valued Partner, Thank you for partnering with Wrike. We will be terminating the affiliate program and all existing partnerships that existed under that program. Consequently, …
Our philosophy around affiliate programs is that the recommendations will flow naturally in the way you deliver your advice and service. Let’s run through a scenario to illustrate. You’re a business consultant of some type and you’re been called in to give recommendations on the systems for a 10-person professional services business. They want to …
The team at ProcessKit has created an excellent template that you can use for your affiliate program launch announcement. The template is: It’s here! ProcessKit now has an affiliate program. That means that you can earn commissions every time you refer new customers to ProcessKit. All you need to do is share your unique referral …
FTC Compliance Reminder Email Template
Dear [affiliate],
Thank you for your participation in the [program name] affiliate program! We just want to take a moment to remind everyone about FTC disclosure requirements and the importance of compliance.
To maintain a positive standing within the [program name] affiliate program, affiliates are required to include a disclosure statement within any and all pages, blog/posts, or social media posts where affiliate links for the [program name] affiliate program are posted as an endorsement or review, and where it is not clear that the link is a paid advertisement.
Guidelines for adhering to the FTC requirements:
• Disclosures should be clear and concise.
• Disclosures must be made at the beginning of the claims and prior to the affiliate link appearing.
• Pop-ups, hover state and button disclosures are prohibited. Blanket disclosures that are posted in a separate section of your website will not suffice – they must be specific to the claim being made.
• Disclosures should be made in the same medium as the claim (e.g. video, text) and applies to all social media, even when space is constrained.
Helpful Tips:
• Ultimately, a disclosure should be “unavoidable”.
• Ask yourself: Would an average reader understand that there is a monetary relationship between you and [program name]? If not, it is likely that changes need to be made to the language included in the disclosure or the positioning.
Sample FTC disclosures:
• Blog Post (without receiving additional fee or bonus for posting review): This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
• Blog Post (while receiving additional fee or bonus for posting review): I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
• Social Media Post/Space Constrained Ads: #ad or #sponsored
It is important to note that these are our own interpretations based on our understanding of the FTC and affiliate marketing, and should not be used as legal advice. For further clarification, we recommend reviewing the information provided in the below links or reaching out to the FTC directly:
• FTC’s “Dot Com Disclosures” Guidelines: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2013/03/
• FTC’s Endorsement Guidelines: http://business.ftc.gov/
Thank you in advance for your compliance! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
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