Social Media Influencer & Marketing Compliance
Using social media to promote and grow a business presents unique legal challenges. Statements and endorsements by employees and affiliates through social media present significant concerns. Attorney Philip Nicolosi helps businesses understand these specific areas of liability. The FTC can pose a serious threat to the success of many current online marketing models, which rely heavily on third party marketing including social media influencers. Attorney Nicolosi has overseen the implementation of comprehensive social media training and compliance plans on behalf of his business clients.
When businesses rely on affiliates, marketers, third-party blogs or other Internet forums to review and endorse their products or services, they can incur liability for their deceptive advertising practices. Under the FTC revised guidelines, both the sponsor (product or services seller) and any sponsored endorser, including any affiliate marketer, blogger, distributor, paid poster, reseller, podcaster, video producer, etc. will each be liable for any deceptive endorsements or general claims made in connection with promoting any products or services. Mr. Nicolosi helps businesses implement reasonable training and monitoring programs in order to avoid being held liable for claims by rouge affiliates.
Custom Social Media Policies
Clients that have employees or use any type of third party marketers or affiliates need a written social media policy. Social Media policies serve the following objectives: 1) to protect the image and reputation of your business from the acts of your employees; 2) protect confidential information from being disclosed; and 3) protect your business from advertising liability stemming from claims made by your employees, affiliates, resellers or other sponsored endorsers. The 2009 Revised FTC Guidelines now make it clear that Internet businesses will be liable for the deceptive claims and statements made by their third party “sponsored endorsers.”
As, an experienced social media lawyer, Philip Nicolosi has drafted social media policies covering virtually all relevant forms of social media and covering both employee and social media influencer conduct.