It was just pointed out to me by Andrew Vaughn that I have been lax in my posting. It’s nice to have friends like that who give you a good kick in the pants. I will try harder, Andrew.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the recent departure of a well known Internet Marketer from the scene. He had to. It was either that or possibly to go to prison.
The short story: The FTC came down on him and he pled guilty to making false claims on products he was selling. Apparently there were trumped up testimonials and made up results. To his credit and integrity the person involved admitted it and pleaded guilty. I say to his credit because unlike some, he took responsibility and bore the consequences.
No good purpose can be served by flaming this man. He has already suffered enough in the public eye and is bearing the penalty for his actions. That is why I am not naming him; most people will know who it is. My purpose for mentioning this is the need for honesty.
We have all read sales copy with hype and filled with testimonial after testimonial. That is one reason I don’t write sales copy well. (Remember, “Please buy my book” is my type of sales copy.) I feel if I have to hype too much I am treading the balance of honesty. If you are offering a good product that has performed well for you, then you shouldn’t have to hype it up too much. I know, there have been studies that show that people respond to hype, but we need to be careful we don’t cross that line. Otherwise we may end up with the FTC knocking on our door.
Apparently the FTC is coming down hard on testimonials. They are requiring specifics and “results not typical” is no longer enough. You have to say something to the effect, “Results not typical, the typical user of this product gets this result…” If someone is blogging about a product and they received a “complimentary” copy, they have to disclose it. For further info look here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33177160/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
and http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/091005-132622
Of course, like any government agency, the FTC leaves a lot of vagueness. So to be real sure you might need to consult a legal expert. But the simple answer? Be honest. Don’t make claims you can’t back up. Don’t let your testimonials say more than, “I liked the product and Gene is an honest guy.” Or, “Gene delivered the product on time and stood behind it.” Build a relationship with your customers. Show them you won’t recommend anything that’s junk. As Alex Jeffreys says, provide value and you will not need hype.
I think testimonials like “I made $3,000,000 using Gene’s e book methods.” are going to be gone soon. Or you may see the following disclaimer: “Results not typical. The typical user of this book uses it in their outhouse to replace the Sears catalog.” (Yeah it’s old. Click here and read the article to see what I am talking about)
Till next time.
Hi Gene “how are you”
At first when reading your post I thought to myself “oh no”
not another obsticle that has been put in the way of us newbie marketers, but then when following your link and reading more into it ,
its all about transparency ,which I think is a good thing for all of us newbies.
The IM your referring to really does come across as a decent nice guy Ihave watched some of his videos and he radiates with his bubbly humour bit of a pity really that he has packed it all in .
Anyway Andrew was right its nice to see you posting again
cheers mick
michael fallon´s last blog ..Newbie’s Dilemma should we learn to outsource straight away?
Hi Gene,
Good commentary. What do you mean, you can’t write? This looks good to me. Your English is great! I’m aka Grammar Granny, and I’m pretty picky. I know… you think you suck at sales copy. But the copy that gets my attention the most is that which sounds honest and from the heart. For that, you’re a good writer, too. Your message is well expressed, timely, and important.
I was getting a little worried about the FTC’s new edicts, but in a way, it doesn’t even apply to me, because I don’t use testimonials that aren’t real. And I never make any up. I might ask for one now and then, but I use it as is.
Oh well… I’m also pretty safe at the moment anyway. I don’t think the FTC is going to “come down” on me for making $1.98 last year! LOL… OK, so it was slightly more than that…
Thanks for your post on this subject.
Roberta´s last blog ..Do These Bother You? They Sure Irritate Me.
Hey Gene,
What a great post, and I definitely agree that you are a wonderful writer.
You are right…HONESTY IS the best policy. There is NO question about it! I think that this may help clean up internet marketing a bit.There are way too many people selling junk, but yet they have a dozen testimonials telling you that it is the last product you will EVER need to buy! Perhaps they will be less likely to conjure things up if they know that there will be consequences for doing so. Who knows, maybe 2 years down the road, you will be able to believe everything you see on the internet……YEA RIGHT! We can dream though, can’t we?
I wish you all of the success that you desire, Gene-take care,
Joann
P. S. I’m glad to see that you listened to Andrew!
Joann Henry´s last blog ..A Menu For A Promising Life?
Hi Gene,
It’s good to see you posting again.
The whole thing with FTC is based on good intentions but I think that they could end up going too far and police everything.
If people want to rely on government for everything, pretty soon they will not be able to use their own brain.
Honesty is always the best policy but honest people in government are sometimes hard to find.
If people are accused by mistake they will hardly be compensated for their expenses to prove it.
It remains to be seen whether it will be the consumers who win or anybody at all due to the new law.
Undoubtedly government jobs will grow and business will have to look more over their shoulders to satisfy the whims of Big Brother.
I read recently a letter by an internet marketer who I know is honest.
He says that he’ll have to say that the average person makes 0.001 cents from using his products.
The problem is that most people buy courses but never finish them if they start using them at all.
Sometimes they just put them on a shelf or hard
drive and that’s the end of it. And those are the people that need government protection, they are the majority.
But protection from what, themselves?
It is people’s own greed and the desire to get something for nothing that causes them to believe testimonials and claims that make no sense.
Like just push a button and make a ton of moiney.
I hope only the cheats will suffer and honest people and marketers will be left in peace.
Vance
Vance Sova´s last blog ..Why Should Your Life Story Matter? Show Up To Harm Or Help ?
Hey Gene,
First I would like to thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.
Just read your post on honesty, well as Alex Jeffreys says, provide value and you need no hype.
I also agree with Vance, some of the regulations are over the top, but maybe more marketers will try to be honest.
Cheers,
Jeanette
Jeanette Fitzgerald´s last blog ..Blogs Get Hacked – It Could Happen To You