It’s inevitable. Sooner or later, you will blog about something in which you have a financial interest. Stands to reason. Your blog is about things that interest you, which is bound to include your work and companies you advise, either as a consultant or a board member.
But… you have to disclose your interests. Your readers need to know up front where you are coming from.
The good news is that most business bloggers get this, and handle it loud and clear in the text of posts about something which they or their firm has an interest.
I think we have to take it a step further. Our relationships also affect how we think about issues that may not be so clearly related to a specific company or client as to merit a mention in a post.
That’s why I am now listing my current and past clients on my About page. There’s also a link to my CV if readers are curious about past employers. Next step is to break out of the TypePad constraints to present all this info more clearly. When I have time. 🙂
Many business bloggers already have this information somewhere on their blog. But not all.
It’s time.
If you need something more robust, take a look at Stowe Boyd’s Shorthand for Disclosure. It’s probably more than most of us need, but if you have a number of varied and complex relationships, something like it might work for you.
Tags: blogging, ethics, disclosure, disclosing business relationships.
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