Publisher Recruitment
Part of Working with content affiliates
Giving publishers product information they can verify
Give an affiliate publisher a product fact sheet that points to current, checkable evidence.
Give an affiliate publisher a product fact sheet that points to current, checkable evidence. Include the model or service version, specifications, what is included, important limits and a contact for corrections.
Do not ask the publisher to repeat a performance claim the brand cannot substantiate.
Separate facts from positioning
“Fits a shelf 30 cm deep” is a measurable claim; “perfect for every home” is a broad promise. Supply the measurement, the variant it applies to and where it can be confirmed.
If a claim comes from a test, provide the method, conditions and date. If it is an editorial opinion, label it as such rather than placing it in a specification table.
The ACCC says it can require businesses to back up claims they make about their products or services.
A publisher may rephrase a supplied fact, but the brand should make the underlying qualifier easy to find. For example, a battery-life figure without the tested settings can become misleading when repeated in a comparison.
Facts vs. Positioning: What to include in a product fact sheet
- Non-measurable claim
- Perfect for every home
- Editorial opinion
- Best value in its category – editorial review
Key compliance and performance metrics from ACCC guidance
- ACCC enforcement authority
- Can require substantiation of claims
- Required claim evidence
- Test methods, conditions, and dates must be documented
- Feed accuracy requirement
- Well-maintained feeds should be up to date
Provide a usable source pack
Organise product identifiers, manuals, current product pages, approved images, availability and support policies. If different regions or retailers carry different versions, mark the differences. Show when each document was last updated.
The publisher should not have to infer whether a discontinued model's sheet still applies.
A structured feed can help with changing fields. Awin describes feeds that carry product names, descriptions, prices, images and links for publishers. It also says a well-maintained feed should be up to date.
Even with a feed, send a separate note when a change alters a comparison point or claim, because editorial text may not update automatically.
Give corrections a route
Name one contact for factual questions and set a reasonable response process. When an error is found, identify the precise sentence or field, show the verified replacement and state whether existing articles need correction.
Do not send a vague request to “refresh the piece” if only one specification changed.
Keep a versioned record of what was supplied. It allows the brand and publisher to see whether a disagreement came from an outdated source, a transcription error or a real product change.
The outcome is not control over the publisher's opinion; it is a clear factual base from which the publisher can make one.
