Module 4 - Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Introduction
Section titled “Introduction”Even with good intentions, affiliates frequently make disclosure mistakes. This module examines the most common errors, explains why they fail FTC standards, and provides corrected examples.
Understanding what NOT to do is just as important as knowing best practices.
Category 1: Vague or Ambiguous Language
Section titled “Category 1: Vague or Ambiguous Language”Mistake: Using Unclear Terms
Section titled “Mistake: Using Unclear Terms”Many affiliates use terms that don’t clearly communicate they’re earning money.
Examples of Vague Language:
❌ “Thanks to Brand for supporting this content”
- Problem: Doesn’t specify financial relationship
- Consumer question: Are they paying you? Giving free products? Both?
❌ “In partnership with Brand”
- Problem: Partnership could mean many things
- Could be unpaid collaboration, sponsorship, or affiliate
❌ “Brand ambassador for X”
- Problem: Ambassador could be paid or unpaid
- Doesn’t specify earning commission
❌ “This is a collab with Brand”
- Problem: Collaboration doesn’t necessarily mean payment
- Could be trading services, unpaid promotion, etc.
❌ “Thanks Brand for the support”
- Problem: Support is vague
- Doesn’t indicate financial compensation
Why These Fail:
The FTC requires consumers to understand the material connection. If average consumers don’t know you’re being paid, the disclosure fails.
Corrected Examples:
✅ “Brand is paying me to promote this product”
✅ “I earn a commission when you buy through my link”
✅ “This is an affiliate link - I make money if you purchase”
✅ “I’m being compensated for this recommendation”
✅ “#ad - I earn commission on purchases”
Mistake: Abbreviations Without Context
Section titled “Mistake: Abbreviations Without Context”❌ Using “aff link” or “aff” alone
- Problem: Not everyone knows what “aff” means
- FTC requires disclosure average consumers understand
❌ “#sp” or “#spon”
- Problem: Abbreviations aren’t clear to everyone
- Could be typos or unclear acronyms
Corrected Examples:
✅ “#ad” or “#affiliate” (widely understood)
✅ “Affiliate link - I earn commission”
✅ Spell it out if using abbreviation: “aff = affiliate (I earn commission)“
Mistake: Hedging Language
Section titled “Mistake: Hedging Language”❌ “I may earn a commission”
- Problem: Sounds uncertain
- If you will earn commission, say so clearly
❌ “I might be compensated”
- Problem: Ambiguous
- Either you are or you aren’t
❌ “Possible affiliate link”
- Problem: You know whether it’s affiliate or not
- Don’t make consumers guess
Corrected Examples:
✅ “I earn a commission if you purchase”
✅ “I am compensated for this recommendation”
✅ “This is an affiliate link”
Category 2: Poor Placement
Section titled “Category 2: Poor Placement”Mistake: Disclosure After the Link
Section titled “Mistake: Disclosure After the Link”One of the most common errors is mentioning the affiliate relationship AFTER consumers already saw the link.
Wrong Order Example:
❌
Check out this amazing product! I've been using it
for months and love it! Click here to buy: [LINK]
Oh, by the way, that's an affiliate link and I earn
a commission.Why It Fails:
Consumers need the disclosure BEFORE deciding to click or buy. Disclosing after defeats the purpose.
Corrected Example:
✅
DISCLOSURE: Affiliate link below - I earn commission
if you purchase.
Check out this amazing product! I've been using it
for months and love it! Click here: [LINK]Mistake: Footer or Sidebar Only
Section titled “Mistake: Footer or Sidebar Only”❌ Disclosure only appears in:
- Website footer
- Blog sidebar
- Separate “Disclosures” page
- About page
Why It Fails:
Consumers may never see these locations. The disclosure must be where they’re viewing the product recommendation.
Corrected Approach:
✅ Primary disclosure at top of each post with affiliate links
✅ Supplementary disclosure in footer is okay, but not sufficient alone
✅ Disclosure must travel with the recommendation
Mistake: Hidden by “Read More”
Section titled “Mistake: Hidden by “Read More””Social Media Example:
❌
Instagram Caption:
I'm so excited to share this new product with you!
It's changed my life and I think you'll love it too!
The quality is amazing and the price is great and
I use it every day and seriously you need this...
[read more button here]
...and by the way this is an affiliate link.Why It Fails:
Many users won’t click “read more.” The disclosure is effectively hidden.
Corrected Example:
✅
Instagram Caption:
#ad | Affiliate disclosure: I earn commission through
my link.
I'm so excited to share this new product with you!
[rest of caption]Mistake: Disclosure in Comments Only
Section titled “Mistake: Disclosure in Comments Only”Social Media Example:
❌
Instagram Post Caption:
Check out this amazing product! Link in bio!
[First Comment by you]
BTW this is an affiliate linkWhy It Fails:
Comments can be buried or missed entirely. The disclosure must be in the main content.
Corrected Example:
✅
Instagram Post Caption:
#affiliate - I earn commission if you shop this link!
Check out this amazing product! Link in bio!Category 3: Insufficient Prominence
Section titled “Category 3: Insufficient Prominence”Mistake: Tiny or Hidden Text
Section titled “Mistake: Tiny or Hidden Text”❌ Using very small font size (8pt or smaller)
❌ Light gray text on white background
❌ Text color that blends into background
❌ Text embedded in walls of dense content
Blog Example:
❌
[Normal blog text in 16pt black]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
elit. [continues for paragraphs]
[Footer in 8pt light gray]
This blog may contain affiliate links.Corrected Example:
✅
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
[Bold, 14-16pt, contrasting color]
This post contains affiliate links. I earn
commission on purchases.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Rest of blog content]Mistake: Buried in Hashtags
Section titled “Mistake: Buried in Hashtags”Instagram Example:
❌
Caption:
Loving this new product! So amazing! Must have!
#beauty #skincare #loveit #instagood #beautiful
#happy #photooftheday #fashion #style #love #like
#follow #instadaily #amazing #bestoftheday #adWhy It Fails:
#ad is the 17th hashtag. Users will miss it completely.
Corrected Example:
✅
Caption:
#ad | Affiliate link in bio - I earn commission!
Loving this new product! So amazing!
#beauty #skincare #loveitMistake: Inconsistent Visual Hierarchy
Section titled “Mistake: Inconsistent Visual Hierarchy”❌ Product claims in large, bold text
❌ Disclosure in small, plain text
The disclosure should be at least as prominent as the product claims.
Category 4: Temporal and Proximity Issues
Section titled “Category 4: Temporal and Proximity Issues”Mistake: Disclosure Too Far from Claim
Section titled “Mistake: Disclosure Too Far from Claim”Video Example:
❌
[Minute 0:00] "This video contains affiliate links"
[Minutes 1-18] Other content, multiple topics
[Minute 19] "And here's the product I mentioned: [LINK]"Why It Fails:
Too much time/content between disclosure and product mention. Consumers may forget or miss the connection.
Corrected Example:
✅
[Minute 0:00] General intro
[Minute 2:00] "Before I show this product, quick disclosure:
affiliate link, I earn commission"
[Minute 2:15] Product discussion and linkMistake: One Disclosure for Multiple Posts
Section titled “Mistake: One Disclosure for Multiple Posts”❌ “I disclosed in my bio/previous post that I use affiliate links”
Why It Fails:
Each piece of content needs its own disclosure. Consumers may see this post without seeing your bio or previous posts.
Corrected Approach:
✅ Disclose on every post, every time
✅ Don’t assume people saw your bio
✅ New viewers need the information too
Category 5: Platform Feature Reliance
Section titled “Category 5: Platform Feature Reliance”Mistake: Relying Solely on Platform Tags
Section titled “Mistake: Relying Solely on Platform Tags”Instagram “Paid Partnership” Tag:
❌ Using only the Paid Partnership tag without additional disclosure
Why It Fails:
- Not all users see or understand the tag
- The tag may not clearly indicate affiliate commission
- The tag alone may not meet FTC standards
Corrected Approach:
✅ Use the Paid Partnership tag AND your own disclosure
✅ Include #ad or #affiliate in caption
✅ Clearly state you earn commission
YouTube “Includes Paid Promotion” Checkbox:
❌ Checking the box but not making verbal/visual disclosure in video
Why It Fails:
Many viewers don’t notice or understand this checkbox. They need disclosure in the actual video.
Corrected Approach:
✅ Check the box AND include verbal disclosure
✅ Add visual text overlay
✅ Include disclosure in description
Category 6: Misleading Disclosures
Section titled “Category 6: Misleading Disclosures”Mistake: Contradictory Statements
Section titled “Mistake: Contradictory Statements”❌ “This is not a paid promotion, but I may earn commission”
Why It Fails:
Earning commission IS paid promotion. This statement is contradictory and misleading.
Corrected:
✅ “This is a paid promotion - I earn commission on purchases”
Mistake: Minimizing the Relationship
Section titled “Mistake: Minimizing the Relationship”❌ “I might make a tiny bit if you use my link”
❌ “I get a small kickback”
❌ “There’s a little bonus for me if you buy”
Why It Fails:
Downplaying the financial relationship can mislead consumers. Don’t minimize or trivialize.
Corrected:
✅ “I earn a commission if you purchase through this link”
✅ “I’m compensated for this recommendation”
✅ “This is an affiliate link - I make money if you buy”
Mistake: False Denials
Section titled “Mistake: False Denials”❌ “No one paid me to say this” (when you earn commission)
❌ “This is my honest opinion, not sponsored” (but you’re earning commission)
Why It Fails:
Affiliate commission IS compensation. These statements are false and deceptive.
Corrected:
✅ “I earn commission, but my opinion is genuine”
✅ “This is an affiliate link. That said, I honestly love this product”
✅ “Paid promotion, but these are my real thoughts”
Category 7: Special Situation Mistakes
Section titled “Category 7: Special Situation Mistakes”Mistake: Not Disclosing Free Products
Section titled “Mistake: Not Disclosing Free Products”❌ Reviewing a free product without disclosing you received it free
FTC Requirement:
You must disclose when you receive free products, even if there’s no affiliate commission.
Corrected:
✅ “Brand sent me this product for free to review”
✅ “I received this product free in exchange for my honest review”
✅ “Free product from Brand. Here’s my honest take:“
Mistake: Not Disclosing Hybrid Arrangements
Section titled “Mistake: Not Disclosing Hybrid Arrangements”❌ Not mentioning when you received free product AND earn affiliate commission
Corrected:
✅ “Full disclosure: Brand sent me this product for free, AND I earn commission if you buy through my link”
✅ “I received this free and I’m also an affiliate partner (I earn commission)“
Mistake: Not Updating Old Content
Section titled “Mistake: Not Updating Old Content”❌ Blog post from 2020 with affiliate links but no disclosure
❌ Old YouTube video that doesn’t meet current standards
Corrected Approach:
✅ Go back and add disclosures to old content
✅ Add note: “Updated [date] to include affiliate disclosure”
✅ Update video descriptions if you can’t edit videos
Category 8: Scope and Frequency Mistakes
Section titled “Category 8: Scope and Frequency Mistakes”Mistake: Blanket Disclosure Only
Section titled “Mistake: Blanket Disclosure Only”❌ “My blog contains affiliate links” (somewhere on the site)
Why It Fails:
Too vague. Consumers don’t know which specific posts or links are affiliate.
Corrected Approach:
✅ General statement on site is okay as supplementary
✅ Must ALSO disclose on each individual post
✅ Mark specific affiliate links
Mistake: Assuming Everyone Knows
Section titled “Mistake: Assuming Everyone Knows”❌ “You know I’m an affiliate for this brand”
❌ “As I always say, affiliate links”
❌ “Obviously this is an ad”
Why It Fails:
You have new followers/readers/viewers constantly. Never assume people know.
Corrected Approach:
✅ Disclose every single time
✅ Treat each post as if it’s someone’s first time seeing your content
✅ Don’t assume familiarity
Category 9: Multiple Products Confusion
Section titled “Category 9: Multiple Products Confusion”Mistake: Unclear Which Links Are Affiliate
Section titled “Mistake: Unclear Which Links Are Affiliate”❌
Here are three tools I recommend:
- Tool A [link]
- Tool B [link]
- Tool C [link]
Some of these are affiliate links.Why It Fails:
Consumers don’t know which are affiliate and which aren’t.
Corrected:
✅
DISCLOSURE: Links marked with * are affiliate
(I earn commission)
Here are three tools:
- Tool A [link]* (affiliate)
- Tool B [link] (not affiliate)
- Tool C [link]* (affiliate)Category 10: Technical Implementation Errors
Section titled “Category 10: Technical Implementation Errors”Mistake: Disclosure Requires Interaction
Section titled “Mistake: Disclosure Requires Interaction”❌ Disclosure appears only on hover
❌ Disclosure requires clicking a button
❌ Disclosure in a tooltip or popup
❌ Disclosure behind a link
Why It Fails:
Consumers shouldn’t have to take action to see disclosure. It must be visible by default.
Corrected:
✅ Disclosure is visible immediately
✅ No hovering, clicking, or scrolling required
✅ Always visible in default view
Mistake: Mobile Invisibility
Section titled “Mistake: Mobile Invisibility”❌ Disclosure visible on desktop but hidden on mobile
❌ Text too small to read on mobile
❌ Disclosure gets cut off on small screens
Why It Fails:
Most users view content on mobile devices. Disclosure must work on all devices.
Corrected:
✅ Test disclosure on mobile devices
✅ Ensure text is readable on small screens
✅ Responsive design includes disclosure
Real-World Case Studies
Section titled “Real-World Case Studies”Case Study 1: Instagram Fashion Influencer
Section titled “Case Study 1: Instagram Fashion Influencer”What They Did Wrong:
- Used #partner instead of #ad
- Placed disclosure after 15 other hashtags
- Only mentioned “collaboration” in caption
- No clear statement of earning commission
FTC Result:
- Warning letter
- Required to correct all posts
- Ongoing monitoring
What They Should Have Done:
- #ad in first 3 hashtags
- Clear statement: “I earn commission on purchases”
- Prominent placement in first 1-2 lines
Case Study 2: Tech Blogger
Section titled “Case Study 2: Tech Blogger”What They Did Wrong:
- Disclosure only on “Affiliate Disclosure” page
- No disclosure on individual blog posts
- Multiple affiliate links throughout posts
- Assumed readers would find disclosure page
FTC Result:
- Cease and desist letter
- Required to add disclosure to all posts
- Update older content
What They Should Have Done:
- Disclosure at top of each post
- Mark individual affiliate links
- Supplementary disclosure page is okay but not sufficient
Case Study 3: YouTube Reviewer
Section titled “Case Study 3: YouTube Reviewer”What They Did Wrong:
- Only verbal disclosure at end of video (minute 28 of 30-minute video)
- No visual disclosure
- Description only said “sponsored content” (didn’t mention affiliate)
- No disclosure on embedded/shared clips
FTC Result:
- Investigation
- Required corrective disclosures
- Update all video descriptions
What They Should Have Done:
- Verbal disclosure in first 30 seconds
- Visual text overlay at start
- Clear description disclosure
- Comprehensive disclosure for all videos
Checklist: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Section titled “Checklist: Avoiding Common Mistakes”Before publishing any affiliate content, verify:
Language:
- Used clear terms (commission, paid, affiliate)
- Avoided vague language (partner, collab without context)
- No abbreviations without explanation
- No hedging or minimizing
Placement:
- Disclosure BEFORE affiliate link/claim
- Not only in footer, sidebar, or separate page
- Visible without scrolling (above the fold)
- Not hidden by “read more” or expandable sections
Prominence:
- Font size adequate and readable
- Color contrasts with background
- Visually distinct (box, bold, or highlighting)
- Not buried in dense text or hashtag lists
Proximity:
- Disclosure close to affiliate link/claim
- Not separated by long sections of content
- Temporal proximity for video/audio (disclosed before or during)
- Clear connection between disclosure and product
Platform Considerations:
- Appropriate for platform (visual for visual platforms, verbal for audio)
- Works on mobile devices
- Doesn’t rely solely on platform features
- Format fits platform constraints
Completeness:
- Disclosed on this specific post/video/content
- Not relying on previous disclosures or bio
- All affiliate links disclosed
- Clear which products are affiliate
Accuracy:
- No contradictory statements
- No false denials of payment
- Accurate description of relationship
- Disclosed all material connections
Summary
Section titled “Summary”Most Common Mistakes Ranked
Section titled “Most Common Mistakes Ranked”- Vague language (not clearly stating commission/payment)
- Disclosure after the link instead of before
- Footer/sidebar only (not on actual content)
- Hidden by “read more” or buried hashtags
- Tiny or low-contrast text
- Too far from the affiliate claim
- Relying on platform tags alone
- Not disclosing for each piece of content
- Unclear which links are affiliate
- Mobile device invisibility
Key Principles to Remember
Section titled “Key Principles to Remember”Be Clear: Use plain language everyone understands
Be Prominent: Make disclosure noticeable
Be Timely: Disclose before the link/claim
Be Close: Keep disclosure near the affiliate content
Be Consistent: Disclose every time, on every platform
Be Complete: Don’t leave out material information
Be Honest: Don’t mislead or minimize
When in Doubt
Section titled “When in Doubt”If you’re unsure whether your disclosure is adequate:
- ✅ Make it more prominent, not less
- ✅ Use clearer language
- ✅ Disclose earlier and more obviously
- ✅ Add multiple disclosure methods
- ✅ Err on the side of over-disclosure
Better to over-disclose than under-disclose.
Next Module
Section titled “Next Module”Module 5 will cover advanced topics including affiliate program agreements, monitoring your compliance, and staying updated with regulatory changes.
Module 4 Complete
You now understand the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.