Just a few days ago, as of this article, the FTC officially declared war on bloggers promoting affiliate products. The gravy train has stopped running folks. If you don’t know exactly what has gone down, this article will give you the 25 cent tour and tell you what you’re going to have to do if you want to survive in the world of affiliate marketing. The fines are pretty stiff if you violate the new ruling.

Let’s start with EXACTLY what that fine is. It’s $11,000 per offense. Now, for some big name marketer making seven figures a year, that might be chump change. But imagine somebody starting out who can just about afford his web hosting. What do you think an $11,000 fine is going to do to that person? I’d say it would pretty much put a serious hurt on them. And that’s putting it mildly.

Okay, so what is it exactly that you have to do and not do? Well, for starters, any claims you make, and I do mean ANY, have to have verifiable documentation to back them up. Also, any claims that are not typical results must be stated as such. Plus, average results must be disclosed if any claims are made at all. Also, if you are an affiliate and are getting paid to promote a product, you must state this on your blog. All testimonials must also be easily verifiable. You better have one heck of a paper trail to back up anything you put on your review blog my friend.

Sounds pretty ominous doesn’t it? Well, at $11,000 a pop, I’d say the FTC means business. Yeah, I know, a lot of people think that they won’t come after the little guy. And maybe at the start that will be true. They’ll fry some big fish to set an example. But do you REALLY want to take the chance that somebody is going to spot your blog, spot a violation, and report you to the feds? I sure don’t want to take that chance. There is an angry buying public out there that is tired of all the wild claims.

If you want to be safe, don’t make claims. It’s that simple. Review the product. Say what it does and what it doesn’t do and let the prospect decide for themselves if it’s the right fit for them. You may not make as many sales, but you’ll keep yourself from a world of hurt.

The war is on…You’ve been warned.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Tired of being an affiliate failure? Want to turn yourself into an affiliate assassin like I am? Want to land in the top 20 of every affiliate promotion you tackle just like I do? Check out my site at http://www.stevewagenheim.com/affiliateassassin/index.html and start earning a solid income as an affiliate marketer.