Ever come across some affiliate marketing blogs and seen a little disclaimer at the bottom? Or perhaps you watched a YouTube video reviewing a product and found a little more info on it in the description? Those are what people call affiliate disclosures or disclaimers. And in this guide, we’ll talk about some of the proper affiliate disclosure examples you can take inspiration from!
These examples don’t have to be to the T like everyone else’s. Plus, disclosures can vary between affiliate marketers, especially depending on the niche you’re working with. So, if you’d like to learn a bit more about how to tell your audience that you’re an affiliate partner transparently, keep on reading!
What are Affiliate Disclosures?
An affiliate disclosure is like a friendly heads-up on your blog, website, or video. It tells your audience about your connection with the company whose product or service you’re talking about. It’s all about being upfront and honest with your readers.
Why do these affiliate disclosure examples matter? Well, imagine reading a glowing review of, say, some casino affiliate program, only to find out later it was sponsored. Your trust in that review would plummet, right? Disclosures help keep things transparent and ethical, ensuring your audience knows when there’s a partnership involved.
Including a disclosure is super simple! Just add a line in your content, like: “FYI: I’m affiliated with [company name] and might earn if you buy through my links.” You can also have a dedicated page with more details about your affiliate connections.
Remember, disclosures are all about honesty. Be clear, be transparent, and let your readers know when you’re collaborating with a company. It’s a small step that makes a big difference in building trust online.
Affiliate Disclosure Examples to Gain Follower Trust
As we mentioned in the intro, while these affiliate disclosure examples are tried and tested, they don’t necessarily have to be copied to the T. Some of them can vary depending on the affiliate niche you’ve entered, and it helps to even customize it to that case for more clarity between you and your audience.
Nevertheless, you can still check out some excellent examples of disclosures in the popular blogs below!
1. The Wirecutter
Wirecutter, owned by The New York Times Company, is your go-to site for trustworthy product recommendations. They’ve got detailed reviews and guides on all sorts of consumer products, making it easier for you to choose wisely.
One thing they really nail is transparency. Here’s one of their affiliate disclosure examples for a review of the best portable chargers and power banks:
Wirecutter’s example above says, “We independently review everything we recommend.” And adds on, “When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.”
When they recommend products and include links, they let you know upfront that they might earn a commission if you buy something through those links. No secrets, just honest and straightforward transparency!
2. The Shop Files
The Shop Files is a treasure trove for online shop owners, offering resources and courses to help you succeed. They’re also great at keeping things transparent with their affiliate disclosure examples.
They start with a friendly “heads up” to catch your eye. By bolding the text and placing it early on in the article, they make sure you don’t miss it. This way, you’re informed right away in a clear and straightforward manner.
Their message is short and sweet: “This post may contain affiliate links; Which means at no additional cost to you.” followed by the assurance, “I may earn a small commission if a purchase is made. Thanks for trusting in my recommendations + supporting the shop files!”
This is one of the affiliate disclosure examples that’s all about being open and building trust, letting you know they stand by the tools they recommend.
3. CryptoVantage
Here’s one of the more common affiliate disclosure examples brought to you by CryptoVantage. You might be used to seeing singular disclosures per blog post, but some sites prefer to show them on an About Page or even the footer of their site, just like CryptoVantage.
CryptoVantage is all about making it easier for everyone to buy cryptocurrency. They offer loads of info on different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, plus the latest news, features, and opinions about the crypto world.
Now, let’s discuss how CryptoVantage handles affiliate disclosure. Previously, the words “affiliate disclosure” were just at the top of their reviews, making it easy to miss.
But now, things have changed. Instead of a simple mention at the top, you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page, past all the affiliate links, to find a more detailed disclosure. This new approach to affiliate disclosure examples ensures you get the full picture of their affiliate relationships.
CryptoVantage shows their affiliate disclosure: “Please note that some links on CryptoVantage.com are affiliate links.” They then go on to add, “We may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click through our links and make a purchase from one of our partners.”
4. Engadget
If you’re looking for affiliate disclosure examples that demonstrate more authority in your niche, consider checking out how Engadget does theirs.
Engadget, a go-to site for countless online product reviews, makes sure its affiliate disclosure is front and center at the top of every product review page.
They explain why you can trust them: “Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004.” Adding the year they’ve started out adds authority to their reviews, which shows they’ve been in the industry for a long time. They go on to add, “Our stories may include affiliate links. So, if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission.”
For more details, they also have a dedicated page that tells you exactly why you can trust them. This page is crucial because it highlights Engadget’s commitment to honesty in their reviews. They make their own choices and sometimes earn money if you purchase through their links, making it one of the additional affiliate disclosure examples you can add on top of disclaimers per blog.
Tips for Writing a Good Affiliate Disclosure
Now that we’ve tackled some of the most common affiliate disclosure examples, it’s time to learn how actually to do them right. Partners tend to make affiliate marketing mistakes with something as simple as a disclosure, and we’re here to help you avoid that! Below are some good tips to keep in mind when writing your own affiliate disclosures:
1. Don’t Bury the Lead: Highlight Your Disclosure
Let’s start with the basics: your affiliate disclaimer needs to be clear and conspicuous. This might seem like an obvious tip, but it’s crucial and often overlooked. Many affiliates end up with clear yet inconspicuous disclosures, which defeats the purpose. Make sure your disclaimer stands out!
2. Focus on Clarity, Not Just Words
When it comes to legal issues, many affiliate marketers think there’s a magic phrase that will protect them. But in some affiliate disclosure examples, it’s the message that counts, not the specific words. Avoid vague language and be straightforward. Let your audience know that you’ll earn money if they use your affiliate links, and reassure them that it won’t cost them extra.
3. Less Is More
Typically, an affiliate disclosure doesn’t need to be longer than a few sentences. Many effective disclosures meet FTC requirements in just one sentence.
However, if you want to be more creative or detailed, you can always link to a comprehensive disclosure page. This is a good practice to avoid any unwanted attention from the FTC.
4. Make Your Disclosure Personal
A great way to integrate the affiliate disclosure examples we discussed is to use them as a connection point with your audience. Let them know you operate on a reader-supported model, thank them for their support, and explain your affiliate relationships, like with Amazon Associates.
Remember: you can weave your disclosure into a narrative about your business journey or goals. This personal touch can encourage your audience to support you by making purchases through your links.
5. Effective Disclosures for Social Media
When you’re limited by character count when doing affiliate marketing on social media, use shorthand for your disclosures. Platforms like Twitter don’t give you much space, so a one-word affiliate disclaimer hashtag works best. Here are some affiliate disclosure examples that use tags:
- #ad
- #promo
- #sponsored
- #pitch
- #plug
Avoid hashtags like #affiliatelink or #ambassador, as they’re not universally recognized. #ad, #promo, and #sponsored are more effective, although #sponsored can be a bit long for platforms with strict character limits.
6. Comply with Each Program’s Guidelines
Each affiliate program has its own disclosure requirements. If you partner with multiple programs, you’ll need to meet each one’s unique rules. Some programs, like Amazon Associates, require specific boilerplate language. Many marketers handle this by creating a separate page with all the required language, often filled with legalese drafted by corporate attorneys.
Make sure to comply with these rules to stay on the right side of each program’s guidelines!
By following these tips, you’ll create clear, effective, and engaging disclaimers, like our affiliate disclosure examples, that build trust with your audience and keep you compliant with regulations.
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