New FTC Rules on Social Media Now in Effect – Are you Ready?

The Federal Trade Commission announced new rules for social media engagement. The Commission will be monitoring Facebook, Twitter, and several other social platforms to foster greater transparency among corporations using new social tools to connect with consumers. Here’s what the FTC will be watching:

• Flogging
• Astroturfing
• Sponsored Conversations

At a Fortune 100 corporation where I was the social media point man for the Global Internet Marketing team, we had lengthy discussions about sponsored conversations, one of the more touchy topics among social media communications professionals. “Most important, social media users – from celebrity spokespeople to everyday consumers – who are paid to post accurate information about a product or service will now be required to disclose their deals and could be held personally liable if they don’t,” wrote Dallas Lawrence, of Levick Strategic Communications on the Bulletproof Blog.The Associate Director of the FTC’s advertising division Richard Cleland, has said, “If you can’t make the disclosure, you can’t make the ad.”

Link of Original