FTC Changes Rules for Bloggers Who Endorse Products

If you place endorsements or testimonials on your Web site or blog, you need to know that the Federal Trade Commission has issued new rules on how to do legally do this. If affects endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of the relationships between advertisers and endorsers.

The FTC issued a statement in October to describe the changes, and those changes take affect today, December 1, 2009.

"Under the revised Guides, advertisements that feature a consumer and convey his or her experience with a product or service as typical when that is not the case will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. In contrast to the 1980 version of the Guides – which allowed advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as “results not typical” – the revised Guides no longer contain this safe harbor," the statement says.

In addition, when bloggers or "word-of-mouth" marketing strategies convey an endorsement, those issuing the endorsement must explain the relationship between themselves and the product or service being endorsed.

To comply, we suggest adding a disclaimer to your blog or Web site testimonial page. Here's an example:

Regarding Testimonials
NOTICE: Provided in accordance with FTC guidelines - 12/1/2009Testimonials posted to this website are the perspective of individuals who are successful and/or enthusiastic about their experience. Testimonials are not representative of everyone’s experience and only provide information about the individual’s experiences as to the point in time when they are provided. All testimonials are authentic and accurate. Testimonials may be edited for clarity or brevity. All claims have been documented and verified for accuracy. No one has been paid to share their stories here. Individual results will vary.

Regarding Product Reviews, Endorsements
NOTICE: Provided in accordance with FTC guidelines - 12/1/2009Products are reviewed on this site as a resource for our customers and website visitors. Paid advertising or placement is not permitted on this site. Any affiliate relationships will be disclosed within the individual articles, prior to providing the affiliate link.Review authors occasionally receive complimentary review copies of products from companies that believe their products will be of interest to our audience. Reviews posted here always provide honest opinions, findings, beliefs or experiences with the products. The views and opinions expressed here are that of the individual author. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation should be verified with the manufacturer, service provider or party in question.

Let us know what you think!

• Do you feel that testimonials need to be regulated by the FTC? Is there a need?
• Is the government stepping in where it doesn't belong?
• Will you feel more confident buying products recommended by bloggers or Web sites now that these rules are in place?
• Can you comply with these regulations?
• Are you worried about "getting caught" if you unintentially violate these news rules?

To read the entire FTC statement, go to http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm. The FTC also has a video available to share more information about how these new rules affect bloggers specifically. Watch it here:

Best Practices For Building Valuable Businesses Relationships Through Facebook

Facebook is an amazingly popular social networking tool that can offer businesses exposure to a huge audience. Today, there are more than 300 million active users, and it is the 4th most visited site in the world according to Alexa.com.

Businesses can take advantage of Facebook’s popularity by creating a Facebook “Fan” page. A Fan page is different from a personal profile. Individuals create personal profiles to connect with friends and family. Fan pages are specifically designated to represent and promote companies and brands. However, like personal profiles, Fan pages encourage relationship-building, and people become fans of pages because they want to connect with the people behind the business name. Incredibly, more than 10 million Facebook users become fans of pages every day!

A Facebook Fan page provides significant value to businesses for several reasons. A Fan page is indexed by search engines, so when customers search for you, they are more likely to find you. By having a Fan page, you boost your search engine ranking because you are constantly updating your page with new, fresh information, and search engines love that! Anyone can view your Fan page, so even non-Facebook members can easily find you. While a personal profile is limited to 5,000 friends, businesses can have as many fans as they want! And don’t forget – it’s all free! You can create an effective, attention-grabbing Fan page without paying a membership fee or bidding on pay-per-click keywords.

If you’re skeptical about the authenticity of Facebook users, you should know that the site administrators do their best to ensure that the people and businesses represented are real and legitimate. The rigorous terms of use dictate that Fan pages must be created by a person at your company who has the authority to do so. Facebook won’t hesitate to ban users if they find abuse or misuse. Facebook also protects your personal privacy because fans don’t have access to your personal profile, and you have complete control over who sees the information on your page.

A well-defined Facebook strategy can lead to new networking opportunities and business clients. It’s quite easy to figure out how to post a message, but communicating through Facebook does require some thought and planning to attract fans and build useful relationships. To that end, I’m offering my favorite tips and best practices that will help you get the most from your Facebook Fan page!

Facebook Tips and Best Practices

1. Think relationships first, business second – this is social media! When direct marketing and overt advertising move in, fans move out! Chat, converse, and be sincere.
2. With every post, consider how others will interpret what you say. You could be followed by the media (or Oprah – you never know!).
3. Create a social marketing strategy and integrate it into your overall marketing plan. Decide your target market and identify your core message – one that will establish you and your business as a thoughtful leader. Plan your posts to make sure the information is relevant and beneficial to your audience.
4. Brand your Fan page! Fans should be able to instantly identify your company when they see your page. Include your logo and tag line. With the cool Facebook applications, you can even add HTML programming code, allowing you to identify your business with additional graphics, such as a Web banner.
5. Always be strategic, consistent, and focused with your messages. If you say you will do something, follow through! Make sure each post fits your marketing strategy.
6. Create interest by adding content-rich media, such as audio and video. Also add your newsletter opt in box so visitors can easily join your e-mailing list.
7. Give your business a personality! Let your passion for your business come through by being genuine, excited, optimistic, and energetic!
8. Consistently engage in activities that create viral visibility. Post status updates, photos, videos, messages to your fans’ walls, notes, and comments. Anyone who visits your fans’ walls will see your posts, too, increasing your exposure to potential customers.
9. Engage others in conversation. When fans write on your wall, respond. They are making an effort to reach out to you, so you should make an effort, too! Like the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.
10. Encourage frequent visits to your page. Hold contests, offer exclusive discounts and specials for your fans, and let your fans be the “first to know” about exciting offers and announcements.
11. Monitor your own page at least once a day. Even if you don’t post your own new content, you should review your fans’ posts. Answer their questions and express your appreciation for their input.
12. Share personal and professional information, but guard your private life. You don’t have to be an open book!
13. Learn from your fans. They are your best source for feedback about current products and services. Be ready to adapt to meet their needs.
14. Be aware of all online conversations about your company and industry. With tools like Google Alerts and keyword searches, you can easily find out what others are saying about you, your competition, and the latest trends in your industry.
15. Promote your Facebook page everywhere! Consider purchasing a personalized domain name (GoDaddy.com offers them for $9.95 a year) so your Fan page URL is easy to remember. Add a Facebook icon to your Web site and blog, and link it to your Fan page. Include your Fan page link in your email signature.

Happy Facebooking!

Michelle Tjelmeland owns a Web and print firm in Springfield and is a certified social media and marketing specialist by the International Association of Social Media Specialists (IASMS).

I'm a Founding Member of the International Social Media Association!

I'm soooooo excited to share some news I've been cooking up for quite some time:

The doors are now officially open for the brand new ISMA - International Social Media Association!

Mari Smith is the president of the association and co-founder along with her business partner, Mark Eldridge -
talented co-author of The Obvious Expert among other great achievements!

They are an amazing team! And, I'm delighted and honored to be a founding member of ISMA!

I'm inviting you to learn more on:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST
http://marismith.tv

We will be discussing details of the Association, our mission, background, intentions, plans for the future... and, most
importantly, we'll be sharing details of our next Social Media Certification program!

If you have any desire to add in-depth social media expertise to your repertoire, the ISMA program will for sure be something you want to check out.

Be sure to use this promo code:MTMWMQS because anyone registering with one of the authorized promo codes will also receive Mari’s Quick Start Social Media Program on CDROM worth $497! This kit is amazing -- you wont believe all the information in it!

Join us Friday at 10:30am PST/12:30 CST:
http://marismith.tv (Mari's ustream channel!)

We hope to connect with you on Friday. If you can't make the live session, we will record and replay for you!

Meantime, you're welcome to take a peek at our association site and register for your membership:

http://ismaconnects.org

and do follow us on Twitter too:

http://twitter.com/ismaconnects

The mission of our association is connecting, engaging and educating members on social media around the world to advance the knowledge, skills, and integrity of the social media profession.

We have felt for some time that the social media industry really needs quality, professional training and education
and a solid association. I'm delighted to be a founding member.

**SAVE THE DATES**

If you do have any interest in joining our next social media certification training program, we begin very soon!!

Monday, October 26th and we run for 8 consecutive weeks meeting on both Mondays and Thursdays.

It's an *intense* schedule! But, by the end of the course (which also includes a two-day LIVE retreat!), you'll have
everything you need to be fully knowledgeable in the social media industry and run a successful business as a consultant, coach, speaker, trainer... or just to add on social media to what you're doing already.

This certification training is essentially the next iteration of a program I've gone through. Over 35 students like me
successfully attend this course and you'll get to meet many of them on the ISMA site!

Come get all your questions answered about the certification course:

FRIDAY, OCT 16 at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST
Just go to http://marismith.tv and you'll get to meet Mark & Mari and maybe a few surprise guests too!!

We look forward to connecting with you soon!
Cheers,
Michelle

Synch your Facebook Fan Page with Twitter

Facebook have been introducing an array of hot new features lately. One that I particularly enjoy is the ability to post content on my Fan Page that automatically posts over to Twitter with a link back to my Fan Page!

With Status Updates, you get a whopping 340 characters to write a post on your Fan Page - and that truncates at about 120 characters and inserts a bit.ly link back to your Fan Page. If you craft your update carefully to leave a kind of "cliffhanger" effect, your followers on Twitter can't help but click through and see what the rest of the message is.

Here's how: just go to http://facebook.com/twitter and connect your Twitter with your Fan Page.

Now, choose which posts to Facebook will automatically go out to Twitter by configuring the settings the way you wish. I have checked Updates, Photos, Videos and Links, but I have Notes unchecked because I'm already importing my blog posts to Twitter. I don't want my blog posts to show up on Twitter twice.

If you're also updating your Facebook personal profile and/or Fan Page with the Selective Twitter Updates app, you might want to disable the Fan Page updating so you don't end up with double tweets! (speaking from experience. lol!)

Or, if you prefer to update your Facebook Fan Page via Twitter, the best combo I've found is Hootsuite.com > Ping.fm > Facebook Profile and/or Facebook Fan Page + Twitter (+ LinkedIn and whatever other sites you want to update). Using Hootsuite allows you to also pre-schedule your updates!

Hope this makes sense,

Michelle - enjoy!! ;)

Alerts Made Easy Reaches Semi-Finals in Innovate Illinois Competition

Our sister company, Alerts Made Easy^TM, has just been notified that we are semi-finalists in the Innovate Illinois competition!! Here's the note we received:

Congratulations on behalf of the Millikin Regional Entrepreneurship Network (MREN) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for participating in Innovate Illinois. Although the judges had a difficult time choosing semi-finalists, we are pleased that you and your company, www.alertsmadeeasy.com will be representing us at the semi-finals in Champaign, September 24.

Innovate Illinois is statewide entrepreneurial and innovation competition recognizing high-growth entrepreneurs. Businesses compete on the merits of their innovations to be named the most innovative company in the state by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Out of the hundreds of companies that compete, four will win a total of $80,000 in cash prizes.

Needless to say, we are thrilled!

We saw AME in action when the tornadoes hit Williamsville and Loami last week, and we're so glad to know that it is helping people stay in touch and stay safe! If you're not sure how AME can work for you, you can send a free test message to yourself from our site. Or, give us a call, and we'll show you the benefits!

Small Busineses Can Survive a Troubled Economy

With so much uncertainty in the economy today, many people are worried about their future. It's understandable, but also unnecessary. Despite what you're hearing from the media, friends, family, and others, it IS possible to succeed right now. You just have to me in the right frame of mind and have the right attitude.

First and foremost, surviving this economic downturn requires a tenacious drive to take control. Only you can build your business stronger and more resilient, so you must make a serious and determined effort to rise above the challenges you face and reinvent yourself. There's no doubt it takes some thoughtful planning and hard work, but your business will emerge from this crisis stronger and well positioned to overtake your competitors. I thought I would share some of my business-building strategies with you, and maybe provide a little guidance and a lot of inspiration to put you in the right frame of mind to move forward and find new opportunities for yourself!

Here's my philosophy for surviving:

• I don't wait for things to happen to me. I make things happen. There's no "wait and see" approach here! I constantly look for opportunity and take action when I find it.
  
  
• My customers come first. I give them one-on-one attention and do my very best to provide outstanding service and superior products. Please remember, I am only an e-mail or phone call away, so don’t hesitate to contact me to chat!
  
  
• I put people first and business second! I build relationships with my customers, with peers, with friends, etc. I strive to invest in relationships, not sales transactions. My relationships provide me with an invaluable asset that can give me an unlimited return on my investment. Great relationships with customers ensure repeat business and quality referrals and leads.
  
  
• I am building my social networks to nurture those relationships. I'm making meaningful connections, learning new things, finding new clients, networking with people and finding inspiration from others. If you would like to learn more about social networking or how it might benefit you – let me know. I’d be happy to provide some ideas for you!
  
  
• I stay one step ahead of the competition. I strive to be the first to implement new technology or offer a new service. I study new trends and find opportunities to do more for my clients. I find great pleasure in doing new things.
  
  
• I'm a perpetual student. Whether I'm reading a book, watching a video seminar on the Web, or participating on online class, I am always learning, taking in as much information as I can. Currently, I am one of 25 in the nation working towards my designation and certification as a Social Networking Specialist from the International Association of Media Specialists.
  
  
• I keep a close eye on overhead expenses and cut where possible. If it's not a necessity, or if I'm not using a service to its full potential, I'm replacing it with something less expensive, or even free. This might require me to rethink a process or find a new way to do something, but I am flexible and will make it work for me. Lower overhead means I can spend more money investing back into my company so that I can offer the latest cutting edge technologies to my clients. And, maybe even one extra vacation year – who wouldn’t like that?
  
  
• I surround myself with team members who are as dedicated and hard-working as I am. I expect a lot from them because I know they can meet my expectations. My team members are amazing and I feel so extremely blessed to be surrounded by such amazing talent!
  
  
• I am focused and disciplined. My daily activities are always moving me along the path to reach my goals.
  
  
• I seek personal excellence, knowing that if I am at my best, my customers are getting the best I can give them.
  
  
• I stay grounded in reality. I take action based on the facts as I know them. I am skeptical of hype, emotional statements, and extreme predictions.
  
  
• I stay positive and optimistic. I know my future is secure because I have intentionally planned for that security.

Which strategies sound like you? Which ones do you need to work on? Like the Web sites I build, building a business is always a work in progress. You should never stop planning, thinking about what you could be doing new or better, or building relationships that will contribute to your success. Just remember that you're in control! Don't be reactive and let the economy take control of your business. Take the initiative, be proactive, and do your own part to stimulate the economy! And, if you need some help stimulating your brain, give me a buzz!

Make it happen!
Michelle

Using Twitter for Customer Service

As consumers, we so often dread calling a customer service number for product support. Before we talk to a human, we listen to the same elevator music track over and over, or the same promotional commercials, or the same "Your call is very important to us. Please remain on the line..." every 30 seconds. And while we understand that a company might not have the ability to answer every call immediately, we sure wish they would answer our question promptly and correctly!

Believe it or not, Twitter can be an awesome tool for customer service. And when implemented with a strategic plan in mind, your business can provide valuable advice, tips, and suggestions, and build a positive customer service reputation.

For one thing, when you help just one person via Twitter, your tweets can reach hundreds of customers, and many may have the same question or problem. You can help others just by posting one or two tweets, and maybe make someone's day!

For another, Twitter can help you be proactive. You can respond quickly to posts that mention your business name and show your customers (and potentials) that you are responsive and care about what people think. The more positive brand image you create, the more attention you will gain, on Twitter and elsewhere.

A few companies that use Twitter for customer service purposes:

Zappos (http://twitter.zappos.com) - widely known for their success at implementing social media, and especially Twitter, Zappos has over 430 employees on Twitter today. They tweet about company events, brands they carry, answers to questions from customers, and just general conversation to engage customers.

Ford (http://twitter.com/fordcustservice) - answers tweets about vehicle issues, where to purchase a vehicle or find warranty service, and special offers on Ford vehicles

Starbucks (http://twitter.com/starbucks) - answers tweets about where to find Starbucks coffee, which store chains carry Starbucks, the Starbucks/iTunes pick of the week, and other questions from loyal their loyal coffee drinkers

Southwest Airlines (http://twitter.com/southwestair) - tweets about flight information, delays, emergency landings and the status of the event, specials, and even WiFi flights. To learn more about how Southwest Airlines uses social media, read their latest blog post here.

Thinking of these examples, how could you implement Twitter for better customer service? If this idea sounds intriguing but you're not sure how to get started, contact e-websmart today! We have our own Twitter guide, and we can also help you devise a strategy.