We can define ethics as moral rules that guide people’s behavior or the conduct of an activity. Ethics is the process of determining what is good or evil, right or wrong.
When it comes to social media, every business wants to grow sales, get followers, and overcome barriers. As a result, marketers attempt to reach their marketing objectives by employing simple approaches, oblivious to the reality that such initiatives may have an impact on ethics, societal harm, and their own business.
Marketing ethics apply to several aspects such as product, pricing, placement, promotion, and advertising. Because the majority of people in the globe learn about products and services through social media, marketers must promote the authenticity of their products and services to consumers.
When it comes to pricing, it is ethical to be honest about the cost of its product or service to consumers. Some firms purposefully conceal their prices in order to increase interaction. We frequently see individuals comment and ask about costs, and one of the administrators responds with ‘Check inbox’.
Another common example of unethical marketing activity is the usage of news headlines by most telecommunication companies and YouTube channels to attract attention. When we read a news piece, the headline is not the same as the news. Do you think it is ethical?
As you know, every day, some search engine collects your information via cookies when you visit a website. They use those data for marketing purposes. However, despite the factors that we as marketers cannot control, it is critical to maintain ethics in today’s climate as responsible business owners.
It is unethical to use social media marketing methods that mislead information, involve races, age, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation because word spreads quickly on social media and so does reputation. It is critical to remember that unethical marketing tactics can harm your brand both online and offline.
Consumers are drawn to brands that promote environmental causes, social responsibility, honesty, and fairness.
Ethics to follow for paid campaigns
- Transparency – When businesses decide to be more open about their product/service details, it highly effects for the buyer’s decision-making process and it increases retention.
- Social Responsibility – When a business focuses on making a positive difference to the world, it will increase brand loyalty.
- Fairness and Honesty – Providing details about the products and services without misleading and treating all people with fairness can attract potential customers a lot.
In conclusion, consumers respond to ethical brands and boost overall brand image. Moreover, ethical marketing campaigns can attract much more attention and ROI.