Recently there has been several investigations from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) regarding the practice of marketing. To clarify I should say the underhanded methods of marketing product and services. I’ve spent some time reading the actual documents and complaints on the FTC website in order that I not make any of the same mistakes. After reading for a few minutes, I have absolutely nothing to worry about and neither should most honest marketers out there.
With that being said, there are something you need to take note of and learn from and that is my reason for writing this post. Although most of the practices the FTC is investigating are shady, the innocent victims here are not only the people whom fraud was committed against but also the real marketers honestly marketing products and services online. These are who the greatest crime is committed against.
Specifically there has been two cases which you should pay close attention to.
1.) The FTC against FLOGS
2.) The FTC against may infomercial marketers
Let’s start off with the FLOGS. If you are not aware of what a FLOG is, it is a FAKE BLOG. These have been popping up left and right mostly promoting Acai Berry products, essentially weight loss products.
First off these FLOGS don’t even tell the truth about their product. They even use FAKE photos. Pete Sisco did an excellent expose on these scams. Read Pete’s Article Here
Why should this concern you?
From what I understand, the FTC is considering making disclosure mandatory on affiliate promotions. This especially holds true if you received the product for FREE and then promoted it. They considered this paid advertising and it is to a point. They may even extend to Twitter and other various social media sites like Facebook and Myspace as well. If you promote you may have to ad tag to state that it’s an advertising promotion.
My point in telling you is so you keep your eyes out for more information concerning this.
2.) The FTC against may infomercial marketers
Now this one hits closer to home. (Not my home though.) The FTC recently filed a case against several infomercial marketers. John Beck, John Alexander, Jeff Paul and several others. You can read the complaint on the FTC websites Click Here To Read It.
Again, so why does this concern you?
After spending a bit of time reading the complaint filed against the various companies, I see several point worth noting.
Essentially each of these companies work like this. They sell a product through an infomercial. The product is essentially a loss leader, meaning they basically break even with they marketing costs and then take the names of the people who purchased and send them to a a telemarketing company who then tries to sell $1500 – $8000 coaching programs. (These programs suck.) The telemarketing company now pays the marketer a commission for each sale generated from their leads. This can be pretty substantial in the backend sales process.
We’re not even to the good part yet.
The MAIN REASON, let me repeat that the MAIN REASON why each of these companies were targeted was NOT the high-pressure sales pitch from a telemarketer, but for an undisclosed CONTINUITY PROGRAM.
Let me explain a bit more. Many of these marketers would sell the product on the front end and then charge these customers anywhere between $47 to $80 a month on the backend. They way it is stated is something like… “Also get a free 30 day trial to my XXXX program”.
Sound familiar? Well hold on you’ll see where I am heading with this.
So the FTC nailed these people for a Membership site. Let me say that a different way. They nailed them because they did not disclose the customer would be charged additional fees later in the form of a membership site.
Why does this matter to you?
It’s simple. Haven’t you all seen similar offers being promoted online with various Internet Marketers? The answer is yes you have. In a few cases the customers almost revolted because of not knowing the charge was coming.
Hey I’m all for membership sites. I run several. The difference is when you purchase access to my membership site, you know 100% you are going to be charged not only now but again in the future too. I am 100% up front about it. Heck, I even charge you the first month up front in most cases.
If you run a membership site whether you are giving away a free trial to a magazine, an interview site or giving away a free cd LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE CHARGED.
The reason why most marketers don’t do this is the fact that IT’S NOT SEXY to sell a membership site. Prospects would rather believe the fairytale that they marketer is so generous they are just giving stuff away. Wake Up.
FREE does not mean FREE!
Free means, I’m not going to charge you for this, but I am going to charge you for that. Or Free means, it’s Free for 30 days. Yes, it’s the consumers job to read too, but it’s the marketers job to market their products with openness.
In the past few years I’ve seen some over the line marketing techniques being promoted and endorsed. If marketers don’t wake up and be up front with their customers, I predict you’ll see a marketer being made an example of by the FTC and it won’t be pretty. Trust me the writing is on the wall it’s only a matter of time.
What really gets me is that to avoid all of this, you just need to be up front with you customers and tell what is going to happen. It really is that simple.