Ethical Marketing 101: A Beginner’s Guide

Welcome, aspiring social media managers and virtual assistants! Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of ethical marketing, let's talk about marketing in a broader sense. Marketing, as some of the legends I follow describe it, is not just about pushing a product. It's about serving your audience and, in a larger sense, changing the world. Yes, businesses need to be profitable, but what's the point if we're headed in the wrong direction? Let's g on this journey together to do marketing the right way.

Marketing often gets a bad rap—and not without reason. In the past and even now, some marketers have used manipulative tactics, deceiving customers into buying into false promises. But let's be clear: that's not what marketing has to be. Ethical marketing is about serving your audience in a transparent and honest way. It goes beyond just selling a product; it's about understanding your audience's needs, identifying their pain points, and meeting those needs in a sincere and valuable manner. At the heart of it all is a simple principle: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Much like how marketing legends I follow define marketing as serving your audience and changing the world, ethical marketing aims to do the same. We are in the best times to make marketing better, more aligned with causing the change we'd like to see in the world. Marketing had its dark times, filled with manipulation and deceit. But as aspiring social media managers, we have the responsibility to do better.

This isn't just about having a profitable business; it's about avoiding shipwrecks—those moments when your business or client's trust is irreversibly damaged due to unethical practices. In the grand scheme of things, marketing is not about acquiring wealth or comfort for a temporary earthly life. For me, it's a vehicle to serve my higher purpose—loving God and the people around me. So, when you take the ethical route, you're not just building a business; you're building a legacy.

Being open about your practices and intentions builds trust, just as we must be transparent in our relationships with those around us and with God.

Marketing, in its essence, should be about truth-telling. If you aim to love God and the people around you, then honesty is non-negotiable.

As marketers, we're responsible not just to our clients and audiences, but also to a higher ethical standard. We need to stand accountable for our actions, acknowledging mistakes when they happen and taking steps to correct them.

In a world that often prioritizes profit over people, being fair in our dealings is a revolutionary act. Fairness in marketing means providing real value and treating every customer as you'd like to be treated.

This isn't just about courtesy; it's about acknowledging the human dignity of everyone you interact with. Respect involves listening to customer feedback and treating everyone with equality.