Hello there! This week I found a great article by The Observer that goes over “13 Social Media Mistakes Your Business Is Making That Could Result in Legal Trouble,” however, as Bloggers, we don’t really fit the bill of your standard “business.” That is why this week I have broken down this article into the 3 main points that pertain to you.
#1 Always Disclose Your Sponsored Content Correctly
The FTC is really cracking down on the correct ways to properly disclosing when content has been sponsored. Since sponsored content is a large portion of how bloggers and content creators can make a living, it is extremely important that you pay close attention to properly disclose your audiences, you could run the risk of you losing your paycheck, or could end up in legal trouble. You should always make sure the contract you are signing is valid, and puts the company instead of you at risk if something goes wrong.
#2 Double-Check Before You Launch A Sweepstake
Sweepstakes are a great way to build your audiences and give a little something to the people that help you make a living, however they can be just as dangerous! You may think you have got it all figured out once you know how you are getting it, how you are hosting it, how you are picking it, and how you are sending it, however, the list does not end there. There are many no-no’s when it comes to hosting giveaways and you should always triple-check that your giveaways won’t come to a disappointing and pricey end for you or your followers.
#3 Never Pull a Photo from Somewhere Without Putting on Your Detective Hat
Using a stock-photo here and there for your blog posts and social media is never a crime… Unless you don’t have the license to. This can be tricky because it is so hard to find out whether someone took the photo themselves or if they bought the license to use it. You should never use a photo without finding who the original owner was, reading the license someone used to purchase it, or asking their permission to use it. Because a creator bought the license to the image might not even mean that it is theirs to let others use! The best bet is to buy the license yourself or take your own photos, but if you just don’t have the time, make sure you make the time to really research the legal web of traps that might be surrounding the one your are about to pull.
There are many more fantastic points Kris Ruby makes in this post for The Observer, so if you are interested go check it out!
Source: Ruby, K. (2017, August 07). 13 Social Media Mistakes Your Business Is Making That Could Result in Legal Trouble. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from http://observer.com/2017/08/social-media-legal-trouble-copyright-law/
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