In Episode 007 of the Late Night Internet Marketing podcast, I covered two important topics: how to make money blogging, and the then-new FTC guidelines on endorsements and disclosures. Both topics remain essential knowledge for anyone building an online business.

Making Money With a Blog

The blogging segment covered the fundamentals that every new blogger needs to know:

• Choose a topic you care about. Blogging requires consistent effort over months and years. If you pick a topic that bores you, you will quit before you see results.
• Choose a topic others care about. Your passion needs an audience. Research search volume and community interest before committing to a niche.
• Use WordPress on your own hosting. Self-hosted WordPress at WordPress.org gives you complete control over your platform, your content, and your monetization options.
• Write consistently. Establish a publishing schedule and stick to it. Consistency builds audience trust and search engine authority.

For a deeper dive into blogging strategy, see the full Episode 007 guide.

FTC Disclosure Requirements

The FTC's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials first shook up the internet marketing world in October 2009. Since then, the requirements have only gotten stricter and more important.

Testimonials and results claims. If you use customer testimonials that reference specific results, you must clearly state what the typical customer can expect. Saying “results not typical” is not sufficient. You need to disclose average or expected outcomes.

Affiliate disclosure. If you recommend a product and earn a commission when someone purchases through your link, you must disclose that relationship. This applies to blog posts, social media content, podcast recommendations, email newsletters, and video content. The disclosure must be clear and conspicuous, not buried in a footnote or separate page.

Sponsored content. Any material connection between you and the products you endorse must be disclosed. This includes free products received for review, paid partnerships, and any financial incentive you have to recommend something.

Best Practices for FTC Compliance in 2026

• Include a disclosure statement at the top of every post that contains affiliate links
• Maintain a comprehensive disclosure page linked from your site navigation
• Use clear language like “This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links at no extra cost to you”
• Disclose verbally in podcasts and videos before making recommendations
• When sharing on social media, use hashtags like #ad or #affiliate as required by FTC and platform guidelines

Why Transparency Pays

Beyond legal compliance, transparency builds trust. Readers who know you earn commissions and still trust your recommendations are far more valuable than readers who feel deceived when they discover the financial relationship later. The best affiliate marketers I know are completely upfront about how they earn money, and their audiences respect them for it.

Treat disclosure as a feature of your content, not a burden. It is a signal to your audience that you value their trust more than any individual commission.