I recently had a conversation with a friend, client, and fellow business owner about the ethics of marketing, and I thought it was an interesting topic to explore more in a blog. While this perhaps is not a traditional Marketing Tip of the Week, it is an issue so many business owners wrestle with in their everyday lives. At what point does marketing become unethical? When it comes to marketing ethics, is there a line drawn anywhere?
It is worth saying that – in this conversation I just referenced – my friend was bringing up the approach of “bro-marketing.” This type of marketing uses aggressive, short-term tactical approaches, such as inflated social proof, disappearing bonuses, and other angles to hammer down repeatedly on urgency. In some discussions I have observed, tactics used in this type of marketing – while they appear to be highly effective and very persuasive – get scrutinized more heavily when an ethical lens is applied.
The truth is that marketing ethics has a ton of gray area. We all have a line of how far we are comfortable to go with marketing. Wherever you set your line, there is someone willing to go further. And, the chances are that where you set your line today, you may have extended your own comfort zone in a year’s time (especially for newer businesses that are just getting started).
The truth is that marketing ethics has a ton of gray area. #marketing #ethics #ethical #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #biztips #entrepreneur
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Ultimately, marketing is about telling people what you offer so they know it exists. By that definition, marketing is vital for a business, not optional. If you have a hobby, and sales are not required, then marketing is unnecessary. If you have a business, and revenue has to be generated, then somehow people need to have heard of what you sell.
So many new business owners who I talk to have their ethical limits set at an unviable point. They are uncomfortable with telling anyone about their business for fear of sounding “salesy.” They have a negative association with feeling that they are pushing their products or services. When I find myself in a conversation like this with a client, I work with them to explore language and marketing approaches that won’t emphasize hard selling, but instead work on relationship building and finding the right target market. Never marketing would mean people do not know about what you offer – even the people who would greatly benefit by buying what you sell. While that may feel good ethically, it is not a sustainable business model.
As you get further into your business, you probably have more marketing experience under your belt. Your comfort zone may have expanded. The ethical limits you don’t want to exceed may be more pinpointed than they used to be. When do you add people to your email list? What methods do you use to reach out? How far do you go in sharing anecdotal evidence of success? (Read this interesting guest blog about when your content is actually violating the law).
If you are looking for hard and fast rules about what you can and can’t do as a marketer, you may find legal answers that help you find the edges. You will likely also find numerous companies or even competitors breaking those rules (or completely unaware of them). And, just because something is legal does not mean you are comfortable to do it. So, where do your ethical lines get drawn?
At the end of the day, marketing and sales are inextricably tied to psychology. You are looking to get in front of your target market and let them know that your product or service is worth a look. Whether you are seeking a short-term sale or a long-term relationship, there is always an element of persuasion that is happening to make sure they know that what you sell could be right for them. I once read a Facebook post from a business owner who announced that she hated marketing, isn’t going to market anymore, that she is a “heartpreneur” who just believes in helping people. I read the full post – which got a lot of positive reaction – and thought to myself, “now, that’s great marketing.”
Marketing and sales are inextricably tied to psychology. #marketing #sales #ethics #ethical #psychology #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb #entrepreneur #biztips
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If you can make someone’s life better with your product or service, it is okay to tell them about it and let them make their decision. How, where, and how many times you tell them is where you can set your own limits around your marketing ethics.
One example of a line I have drawn in how I market my own business is that I never want to make it appear that marketing equals fast results. If you get fast results with your marketing, that is great. But, everyone who is marketing to you is still marketing for a reason. Even the people telling you how wildly successful they have been overnight. I myself wouldn’t have published nearly 300 blogs, I wouldn’t have sent weekly newsletters for nearly a decade (and so many other examples I can give here of the long-term volume of what I have done) if I felt that marketing were a short-term endeavor that led to quick, sustainable success. So, from an ethical standpoint, it is important to me that how I talk about marketing best practices lines up with managing expectations about outcome. Anyone who achieves bigger and faster success, I will happily celebrate with them! I just do not hold them up as a model for what everyone should expect.
When it comes to the ethics of marketing, where do you draw your own line? Is there a line you drew earlier in your business that has since shifted? I would love to hear your thoughts!
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