[DanBrown1944]

Hi,
My name is Dan, Before I get to the actual point of this message, I will give you some related background information about me, well I have been in the affiliate marketing niche since 2009 in that time, I have promoted some particularly dodgy websites, you know those weight loss sites you find when you Google for weight loss which guarantee weightless? Well one of those was mine… until recently this dodgy marketing strategy was working fine, I had had the odd Google advert removed but not much else until I got this letter, from the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency), apparently someone had complained about me to the ASA because of the dodgy products from clickbank I was promoting, at first I thought nothing of it and in fact binned the letter but I got another and when I contacted them I realised it was serious really serious, luckily for me I got a good lawyer and managed to reach an agreement for an undisclosed sum, but you may not be so lucky…..

The Moral of the story:
1. Follow Advertising rules yourself
2. DO NOT promote products which do not follow advertising rules (misleading, unsubstantiated claims, yes you know the type!)

You might think I’m full of hot air, and that’s up to you, If I had seen this post and not been their myself i would have probably thought the same, but if even one of you read the ASA cap code guidelines and learn from my mistakes, the point of this post will have been achieved, and yes this post sounds like typical marketing rubbish, but what do you expect I am a full time marketer after all, YES I quit my job late 2009 to do this full time, hell I have made too much money to give it up and there is nothing wrong with affiliate marketing as long as you are careful and follow the ASA Guidelines, you can find the 100+ pages of Official Guidelines full of legal jargon (cap.org.uk/The-Codes/CAP-Code.aspx) or you can read the CAP Code Guide (capcode.co.uk), it’s up to you but please make sure you read something and follow the rules like I will from now on.

Regards,
Dan Brown

[M.Y]

hi Dan

thanks for the advice. what most new affiliates don't realise is that whilst every effort is made by clickbank and other affiliate sites checking tens of thousands of products submitted by the vendors, the odd dodgy one may get through now and then. if an affiliate is keen to promote a certain product but may be unsure of the super claims made by the product it is also a good idea to carry out further research and reviews before promoting.

[jwiere03]

Originally Posted by M.Y

hi Dan

thanks for the advice. what most new affiliates don't realise is that whilst every effort is made by clickbank and other affiliate sites checking tens of thousands of products submitted by the vendors, the odd dodgy one may get through now and then. if an affiliate is keen to promote a certain product but may be unsure of the super claims made by the product it is also a good idea to carry out further research and reviews before promoting.

I think it is eaiser to promote something when you understand the topic and can make a relevant website/content/forum post etc so for this reason alone it is worth it to stick to products you understand and trust.

[taniapaul2011]

It's really a valued point and all affiliate marketers should think about it and work accordingly.