ActiveRain works!!!!! * Your results may vary ...
"you know how we all write the posts about how much Active Rain has been good for our business, recommending the network to the real estate world." quoting Judi Barrett.
Fran Flynn Thorsen is doing a webinar about the FTC Guides... Friday. 2:00 EST*
Joseph Ferrara of Sellsius is going to talk about changes coming down the pike that may or may not affect us as real estate bloggers / partakers in social media because of changes to the FTC Guide (Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.)
Joe is a real estate blogger and an attorney. On Sellsius Real Estate Blog Joe wrote a post entitled
Will New FTC Rules Affect Agent Testimonials on Trulia Blog?
Do agents do testimonials on Trulia?
Trulia? Zillow? ActiveRain? Have you ever given a testimonial for Trulia Voices? A testimonial for ads on Zillow? ActiveRain? Any of ActiveRain's Business Builders? Market Leader?
Have you read the Guide? (Guides) Does it affect you? I read all 81 pages the day it hit the internet. I have seen some crazy stuff about the FTC Guide on real estate blogs.. plenty on ActiveRain. Myths and Propaganda.... some pure craZyNess...
FTC Social Media Guide
The .pdf that has some of us all aflutter is officially known as:
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 255
Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
ActiveRain works!!!!! * Your results may vary...
Judi Barrett's post and in particular the edit on the bottom was simailar to one of the things that kept running through my head when I was reading the FTC Guide.
In FTC Approves Guildelines for Bloggers Judi wrote:
" I woke up this morning with a start... you know how we all write the posts about how much Active Rain has been good for our business, recommending the network to the real estate world..."
ActiveRain? An ActiveRain "Business Builder"
When you post about an ActiveRain Business Buider being
- The key to your real estate success
- Made your phone ring off the hook
- Secured you 40 listings in 40 days
- Saved your marriage
- Cured your hemmeroids
Was that typical results? And was that unsolicited? Unpaid? There is no more safe haven....
When you've blogged about ActiveRain Works or an ActiveRain Business Builder product works did you put in the fine print at the bottom in small print: *Your results may vary. Hey did I mention I got a free account from the vendor for three months to try it... and say I liked it? And those hemmeroids are raging again....
Webinar - FTC Guide
Joe is NOT the only guest on the Webinar ....
"Raleigh R. Pinskey is a best-selling author and internationally recognized PR and Social Media Branding Expert."
Did you know Joe's former blogging partner Rudy is with Trulia?
Sign Up for the webinar:
You can sign up with the Widget on Fran's ActiveRain post if you look at the post with IE. I could not see it when I read the blog using Firefox.
Or visit Fran's RealTown Blog... that is where I was able to first see the widget... and signed up.
Disclaimer / Disclosure - I am receiving nothing, nada, zilch from Frances but she is my fairy blogmother and Joe has always been one of my favorites in the real estate blogosphere... I don't know Mr. Pinskey but I am looking forward to the webinar...
:- )
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Maureen,
Love you disclaimer. I am pretty sure there will be tons of jokes. Thanks for the info about the seminar.
The whole thing - not just with the new guidelines from FTC - start reminding me the way business was done in the USSR. There was so much regulations and guidelines that following them to the letter was impossible, so you worked as you were supposed to in the situation, but at any time the authorities could get you for non- compliance. That often happened when they did not like what you said, or to scare everyone. Or if something happened and somebody was injured. There was no such thing as accident. The authorities wold find tons of regulations that were violated, and put you in jail.
It was such a relief here, that there was sense in regulation. But with more and more regulatory activity it sometimes looks the same. You work until someone wants you dead, and then there will be something that you did not follow to the letter. And for us it will be either following something to the letter and retire, or operate the way the business practice is and skip some of the fine print...