Back in 2009, the FTC mandated that bloggers provide disclosures whenever there could be hidden or unstated interests related to recommendations.

In the spirit of full disclosure, here’s how I use affiliate relationships on this site and my other sites, ManagementConsultingNews.com and GuerrillaConsulting.com.

The easiest way to do this without getting complicated is to make a blanket statement. If you read an endorsement that contains a link to buy a product or service, just assume that I will earn a referral fee. In some cases, the referral fee is pennies; in others it’s a few dollars. In either case, I won’t be buying an island with the referral income I generate here, though that would be nice.

Most importantly, you can be sure that if there’s a link to a product or service, I’m confident of its value and willingly endorse it.

I also receive free books from authors, publishers, and PR people who wish to promote their stuff. None of the people who eventually appear in any interview or podcast, though, compensate me–except I often read their books for free.

If you have any questions about this topic, or any other, feel free to contact me.