Blogging Guidelines & Disclosure

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Published on Monday, March 08, 2010 16:53

Written by Traveling Mom

TravelingMom was created to make traveling easier for moms.  We know that the best travel guide is another mom and we make it our mission to provide useful, authentic, and honest information to help moms travel better.

However, scouring the earth and vetting destinations to see what works for families and what doesn't can be an expensive endeavor.  Some trips and products are provided to the TMOM Blogger Network in anticipation of a review. We share our experience and if the destination provides outstanding service, anyone reading that review should expect the very same service for themselves when they pay to visit.  If you do not, please let us know.

Disclosure

Disclosure rules are changing, thanks to some new guidance from the Federal Trade Commission governing sponsored posts, tweets and other paid-for content. As a social media leader with integrity, we will abide by these guidelines for how to clearly label our sponsored content.

1.Sponsored posts: TravelingMom will, from time to time, run posts that include paid links. However, we will only run posts that we believe contain information that is valuable to our readers and we will disclose any time a sponsor paid a fee for inclusion in a post or offered free or reduced price incentives to writers to post about their product, destination or attraction.

2.Posts featuring destinations or hotels that were provided to a Traveling Mom for free or at reduced cost will be clearly marked as such. 

3.Posts reviewing products that were provided to a Traveling Mom for free or at a reduced cost will be clearly marked as such.

4. Tweets promoting those review posts will include #ad ahead of the link. 

6.Facebook posts promoting those review posts will note that the destination, product or hotel hosted the writer.

Our promise to you, our readers, remains the same:: The reviews and information contained on our site contain opinions that are authentically our own. A Traveling Mom cannot be bought.

Blogger Guidelines

Below are the guidelines we share will all TMOM Blogger Network and guest bloggers, designed to ensure all posts are appropriate:

• Rating/reviewing: As a TMOM Network blogger, you will have the opportunity to review products and destinations. Be honest and professional. Criticism is fine as long as it’s factual, accurate and constructive. Rants and disparaging comments are not welcome. Snarky and disparaging blogs get some press, but we don’t want traffic at the expense of others.
• Be respectful: Even when commentators post irritating replies to your posts. Comments that are over the top, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate will be removed.
• No profanity: Avoid vulgar and uncivil language. It will not be tolerated.
• In your name: You must author all posts. You may not create an alias or pseudonym to use in comments or to argue with others who comment on your blog.
• Use links: If you write about a place, person, company or product that has a website, link to it in the text.
• Develop your own voice: We expect consistently strong - even provocative - but always professional writing. 
• Be clear: Write clearly and simply.
• Proofread: Read, re-read and spellcheck before posting.
• Be professional: As long as you are a blogging Mom on the TravelingMom Web site, you represent the TravelingMom brand. We expect you to write and comport yourself professionally whenever you write, speak or appear under the TravelingMom Blogger Network banner.
• Letters of assignment: A letter of assignment is required before seeking a product or trip in the name of TravelingMom.com.