If you market your services via the internet, television, radio, in print or face to face . . . even if you volunteer to man a booth for your community expo . . . you are engaging in direct marketing.  Ken McArthur has just posted new guidelines for direct marketing in the United States.  Tempted to put your head in the sand and ignore the guidelines?  Really??

"Apple Planet" by Jorge Elias

Here are some snippets from Ken’s post:

• Terms like “Free,” “Free Trial,” and “Risk Free” are to be avoided.
• So are potentially misleading offers.
• Don’t offer ‘false sense of urgency’ i.e. “Last Week to Purchase at This Price!” if the offer will continue.
• Endorsements must be honest and accurate depictions of likely use of your services / products.
• Affiliate marketing programs must make concerted effort to track participating marketers and minimize fraud.
• Opt-out procedures need to be written in 12 point font or larger.
• Pre-checked boxes are no longer allowed.
• Billing cycles are regulated.

Other issues addressed include Refund Policies, Up-Selling, Actual Descriptor of Merchants, Fulfillment of Transactions, and Requirements for Customer Service. Check out Ken’s full article, New Credit Card Merchant Account Guidelines for Direct Marketing.

With so much sleaze involved in marketing and online sales, I see this as a giant step in the right direction. What’s you opinion?