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3 . Truth in Advertising
The FTC requires that your marketing messages not mislead consumers . This includes ALL messages , not just sales letters .
Unfair or deceptive advertising is obviously prohibited . You must not only tell the truth , but also tell the whole truth . That is , you cannot leave out relevant information that might affect a buying decision .
For example , if you are teaching people how to make money in the Florida Keys and a boat is needed to do this , you better tell them they need a boat .
Be very careful when you compare your product to other products . If you ’ re not being fair and transparent , you are breaching advertising standards .
Make sure descriptions are 100 % true , that descriptions are completely accurate , and that you state facts and not fantasy .
If you are making income claims , you ’ ve got to be twice as careful . This is an extremely important topic if you ’ re in the online marketing niche , which is why next month we are going to cover how to make income claims that DON ’ T land you in hot water with the FTC , along with how to gather and use testimonials .
We will also be covering the Anti-Spam Law , also called the CAN-SPAM law . Most marketers take for granted that they know this law and are already compliant . But surprisingly , this isn ’ t true for the majority of marketers . We will cover these things in depth next month to help your growing business stay safe on the right side of the law .
One last thing – here ’ s the FTC Guide for Selling Internationally . It provides a helpful checklist for determining if your business is ‘ consumer-friendly .’ https :// www . ftc . gov / tips-advice / business-center / guidance / electronic-commerce-sellinginternationally-guide-businesses