Are you ready to take your blog to the next level?
Well, here’s the thing: if you’re not blogging legally, you’re missing out on some serious benefits. I’m going to reveal the top reasons why blogging legally is an absolute game-changer for your success. From protecting your blog from fines and lawsuits to unlocking monetization opportunities and gaining the trust of your audience, you don’t want to miss out. So, grab your coffee, sit back, and get ready to discover why blogging legally is the key to unlocking your blog’s full potential.
Although I have worked as a lawyer specializing in International and EU Law (LLB, LLM, PhD) for over 15 years and helped more than 30,000 bloggers and online entrepreneurs create their blog legal pages and policies with my plug-and-play legal templates, free legal templates, online courses, an affordable legal bundle for bloggers, and an affordable legal bundle for online business owners, this article is meant for informational and educational purposes only.
It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. I will not be held liable for any damages or losses caused by acting or failing to act on the grounds of the content of this article. Should your circumstances require, I encourage you to seek legal advice through other avenues. Please read my full disclaimer for further information.
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If you’re in a rush at the moment, don’t sweat it! You can always download this post as a PDF and come back to these important reasons why you should blog legally later.
Alright, let’s dive in!
As a blogger, you need to comply with several laws and regulations that oversee online activities. These can include data protection and privacy laws, copyright laws, advertising regulations, disclosure requirements, the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines in the United States, and several other important legal provisions. By ensuring compliance, you avoid legal trouble and protect yourself from potential fines, lawsuits, and headaches.
But not only that.
No matter what type of blog you run, there are five key reasons why you absolutely need to stay on top of the legal stuff.
Let’s delve into each of these different reasons and explore why they matter so much.
Reason #1 Do the Right Thing and Respect Your Audience
The first reason why you should blog legally is simply because it’s the right thing to do. Complying with legal requirements and privacy policies is not only an ethical obligation or best practice. It’s not just about following the rules, but it’s about showing respect for your readers and audience.
These laws and regulations exist to protect them and their personal information, and by complying with them, you’re showing that you care about their rights and their privacy. It’s all about creating a safe and trustworthy space where they can engage with your content, feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, subscribing to your newsletters, and buying from you.
Reason #2 Blogging Legally Will Boost Your Credibility
Moving on to the next reason, let’s talk about how being legally compliant can actually make you look more professional, trustworthy, and credible.
When you have all the necessary legal pages on your blog, it shows that you mean business. Even if you’re just starting out, having those pages in place sets you apart from the rookies. It gives off a vibe that you’re serious about what you do and that you value your audience’s trust.
Not only that. Some legal requirements such as for example, ADA compliance, having an affiliate disclosure in your blog posts containing affiliate links, having blog disclaimers and a proper privacy policy in place, are pretty much the golden standard everywhere, especially after the advent of the general data protection regulation (GDPR). So, if everyone else is playing by the rules and you’re not, it’s gonna raise some eyebrows, and you don’t wanna look sketchy.
By meeting those legal requirements, you’re staying in line with industry standards and best practices and showing your website visitors that you’re a legit player in the blogging world.
Before I move on to the next reason why blogging legally will benefit you, if you want to protect your blog from thieves and copycats, you can grab my free copyright notice template.
You can use this copyright notice template over and over to ensure a first layer of copyright protection for anything you create, your own blog, your freebies, your digital products, courses, ebooks, printables, and more.
This is a template all bloggers, content creators and website owners need and it’s the easiest way to reduce the risk of copyright infringement and other copyright issues making it clear that you are the copyright owner of your original content and protecting your intellectual property rights.
Reason #3 Blog Legally to Avoid Fines & Lawsuits
You want to avoid financial penalties and legal disputes. By meeting all legal requirements, you protect yourself from potential fines, lawsuits, and formal complaints to supervisory authorities.
Legal requirements aren’t just ethical guidelines; they’re the law.
Failure to comply with laws and regulations such as copyright law, privacy laws, the Federal Trade Commission guidelines in the United States can expose you and your blog to financial risks, such as hefty fines or legal action.
For example, without a blog disclosure, proper disclaimers, a privacy policy page, and terms of service, you, as the blogger and/or website owner, may be held liable for any misinformation or damages resulting from the use of your content.
Having all the legal pages for your blog in place and taking care of the legal aspects mitigates these risks and disclaims your legal liability, protecting your blog and personal assets.
And if you’re thinking “Yeah, but they’re going after the big fish, not a small blog with 200 subscribers”, well think again!
Even small blogs have been fined and under some regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), your users have the right to lodge a complaint to the supervisory authorities against you or sue you.
It takes one unhappy subscriber to get you in trouble.
Plus, if large companies like Facebook or Google may survive hefty fines in the range of millions, the same can’t be said for small bloggers.
Imagine getting hit with a fine for a few thousand dollars when you’re just starting out or facing the risk of privacy policy lawsuits. That could seriously set you back and even force you to shut down your blog.
Lawsuits are a major headache. They eat up your time, drain your energy, and take your focus away from what really matters: creating valuable content and growing your blog. Which leads us to the next reason.
Reason #4 Avoid Having to Sue Others
The next reason why you should blog legally is because you want to avoid the need to sue others. It’s much better to proactively protect your blog from potential legal issues and establish your legal protection right from the start than dealing with legal messes down the line.
Legal disputes, regardless of whether you’re in the right, are always time-consuming, stressful, and costly. They’re distracting and take you away from your primary goals.
As a blogger, time is your most important asset. The last thing you need is to get caught up in legal disputes that could’ve been avoided. Keep your focus on what really matters— Connecting with your audience, producing content, and growing your blogging business.
Alright, let’s get to the good stuff.
Reason #5 Unlock More Earning Opportunities and Monetization Channels
The next reason why you should blog legally is that when you have all your legals in order, you’re not just protecting yourself and your hard work, you’re also unlocking doors to more opportunities and monetization channels.
So besides the peace of mind of being legally protected, having all your legal ducks in a row makes you look legit and trustworthy in the eyes of clients, potential affiliates, and partners.
By complying with legal requirements, you’re paving the way for additional revenue streams.
Many monetization opportunities, such as affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and advertising networks, require compliance with specific legal requirements as a prerequisite for joining. Without the necessary legal pages and disclosures, you may be ineligible to participate in such programs, limiting your revenue potential.
For example, one of the top reasons new bloggers get rejected when they apply for Google Adsense is because they don’t have a privacy policy on their website. And the same goes for other ad networks. Don’t let that happen to you!
Plus, you will build trust with your audience and convert them into repeat customers. People buy from people they trust. When you show your audience that you’re transparent with them and respect their rights and privacy, they will trust you and be more likely to buy from you.
BONUS: Search Engines Love Websites That Are Legally Compliant
And as an extra bonus: search engines love websites that are legally compliant. By having your legal pages set up, you’re signaling to search engines like Google that you’re a trustworthy site. This can boost your rankings, driving more traffic to your blog and giving you even more opportunities to make money blogging.
So, staying on top of the legal stuff is not just about avoiding trouble—it’s about seizing opportunities, building credibility, and taking your blog to the next level.
It’s totally worth the effort. And if you want to save time and make sure you meet all the legal requirements, the best option is to get my Legal Bundle Value Pack™ which comes with plug-and-play legal templates (including privacy policy template, disclosure template, terms of use template, disclaimer template, legal documents and legal agreements templates) to get all your legal pages done in less than 10 minutes. This small investment will give you peace of mind of being legally protected and open up more monetization opportunities to make money blogging. This is the best thing you could ever do for your blog.
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2 thoughts on “Why You Should Blog Legally to Protect Your Blog”
Great post! You don’t see too many posts like this in the blogging world. And there should be more of them. Blogs are like businesses and for some, they are businesses. It’s important to treat them as such. I always register mine as an LLC in my region, I create real policies to protect the site and users, and I comply with laws especially around sponsored content and taxes. Not following the basic legal requirements of having a business as a blogger can really cause a lot of problems. Again, thanks for your input on this!
Hi Shawn, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I couldn’t agree more with your perspective. It’s refreshing to hear from someone who truly understands the importance of blogging legally and treats their blog with the seriousness of a business. Blogging, especially when it’s more than just a hobby, requires a solid understanding of the legalities involved. It’s not just about creating great content but also about building a responsible and sustainable business. Thanks again for sharing your insights and practices. Your approach is definitely an inspiration for many aspiring bloggers out there.