It’s here at last, the long-awaited starting date for the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) to regulate what Companies say about themselves online.

For years companies have been subject to the ASA’s ruling about their paid-for advertising. The ASA regularly slaps the wrists of even the biggest corporations. Now these companies will have to smarten up their acts online too.

The news item on the BBC website this morning says:

From 1 March, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) gets powers to police the claims companies make on websites and social networks.

The Rules Cover statements on sites that can be interpreted as Marketing, even if they are not in an advert.

Obviously someone has to complain to the ASA for anything to happen – they don’t have the brief or resources to go out looking for dishonesty. That means it will be mostly the larger companies who are taken to task over their claims.

But that doesn’t mean small companies don’t have to bother. With the ASA’s ‘enhanced naming and shaming’ policy, your business could be severely affected by the adverse publicity.

And don’t think you can escape by using a domain name which isn’t a .uk, or a site which is hosted outside the UK – the ASA will be regulating businesses with a base or presence in the UK.

Do the new rules cover all online content? Well no … it covers content on websites and social media which can be interpreted as marketing or sales. And it will be the ASA which decides, not the content owner.

If you’d like to know more (and if your business or organisation has an online presence you should), visit the ASA’s CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) website.

So, what better time to review your marketing messages and online copy. Why not contact a copywriter (WORD-right springs to mind here, and no surprise!) – they will help you get your marketing messages across, and still be legal, decent, honest and truthful.