A Twitter party can be a fun and effective way to boost your business and build an audience. But before you throw a fete for followers, make sure it’s in compliance with Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
Here are the top three legal tips for a business Twitter party:
Tip No. 1: Disclose Perks and Swag.
Anyone who’s paid to endorse a product must disclose the payment from the advertiser.
If you’re wining and dining your party’s attendees with random awesome things — such as drinks, appetizers, gift cards, and other grab-bag spoils — that could potentially push the attendee’s tweets about the party into the realm of a paid endorsement.
If you plan on pampering partygoers, it’s best to play it safe and have the attendees disclose the perks and party platters in their tweets.
Of course, this may be challenging in 140 characters or less, but the FTC is making matters easier for you. Including “Ad:” at the start of sponsored tweets is sufficient, according to Mashable. (“Sponsored” is also OK, but that takes up six more characters.)
