A disclosure page is an essential in every blog and all bloggers are encouraged to have one. But what is it? What are the options? Why must you even have one?

If you have any desire at all in blogging to earn an income, it is better for you if you ensure that you make it clear that you will be being rewarded for some of your blogging and that the subjects of some of the posts, if not the content, will be swayed and chosen by advertisers.

Why Disclose?
A disclosure policy means that you are being open, honest and transparent about what is affecting you and your choice of subjects to blog about. You should disclose affiliate relationships, advertising compensation, paid posts, guest posts and any products or gifts received as either rewards or freebies to review.

When Do You Disclose?
Even if you are just displaying contextual advertising, I would recommend some kind of disclosure policy on your website. There are various marketing standards that dictate what we bloggers can do and what is acceptable, so make sure that you are fulfilling these requirements.

There are two kinds of disclosure to choose from, although as much as possible I will use both on my websites:

On Post Disclosure
This is the basic form of disclosure and requires you to mention in each post that is in any way sponsored that it is a sponsored post. Maybe you thank the advertiser or just mention that the post is sponsored.

Some paid to post system insist on this type of disclosure with every post whilst other advertisers want to try to hide the link and, therefore prefer a site wide disclosure.

Site Wide Disclosure
This basically means adding a post or a page to your blog and making sure that this post or page is linked to from everywhere else on the blog, or at the very least the sponsored posts. Add a link to your disclosure policy on the main navigation of your website or include a badge in the main side column of links.

A site wide disclosure that is linked to from ever post means that you are always covered and again, there are systems that insist that is how you work if taking work from them. By having a site wide disclosure you cannot be accused of misleading readers, but those landing on your posts might not see it and that is why I think an in post disclosure is better.

In Post Or Site Wide?
Aside from the requirements of the person paying you, which should you choose? Well, I always add a site wide disclosure policy to my blogs and that is what is recommended. I will then quite often add an in post disclosure where allowed (if nothing else, it can get the word count up!).

So I think that the answer is not either / or, it is to use them both as much as allowed. That way, regular readers know that you do take paid posts and know which of your posts you are being paid for. If openness and transparency is what the disclosure is for, the combination must achieve this the best. Visit disclosurepolicy.org for some help creating your own disclosure page.

Keith Lunt