Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Ethical Marketing, Does It Mean Anything Anymore?

Posted by Anniebee46 on 2/24/2012 at 11:37 AM ET 25 Points
I am fairly new to affilliate marketing and one of the things that has always put me off is the unethical practices that seem to lurk on the net. I dont want to run my business like that but I see examples of it all the time.
My questions are: What do people think ethical marketing is? Does it even exist anymore? Are there boundaries that 'ethical' marketers should never cross? Yet marketing seems such a cut throat business - so have the boundaries disappeared under the need for traffic and the drive for the big bucks?
What are your tips for ensuring that I stay ethical in my marketing campaigns
I am really interested in this subject and I am thinking about starting a blog to get the message out. Can anyone help?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by AdsValueBob on 2/24/2012 at 11:54 AM Member
    Guess we could do a Bill Clinton and ask for (your) definition of "ethical marketing".

    I think you real question is "how can I be a profitable ethical affiliate marketer while not not crossing (my) ethical boundaries?"

    Simple answer - don't cross YOUR boundaries and accept the resulting success.

    Your question is similar to items on our web site:
    https://adsvalue.com/university.php#CrossTheLine
    AdsValue encourages agencies and businesses to practice socially responsible advertising and don't you become the Bad Ad Man.

    Bob
  • Posted by Anniebee46 on 2/24/2012 at 3:04 PM Author
    Thanks Bob - and thanks for the link. Its always encouraging to know that there are organisations/ people out there who work hard to stop unethical marketing. Is there a process of reporting examples of this type of thing? Or do we rely on social media to get the word out?

    Anniebee46
  • Posted by AdsValueBob on 2/24/2012 at 3:58 PM Member
    Remember unethical doesn't have to mean illegal. People worldwide chase spammers and flim-flam marketers every day with little aggregate success.

    The FTC - Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General can make some noise for you. One very notable project of the FTC is the DoNotCall registry.

    The most effective way is to make their situation unprofitable. Rarely does any company have the resources to carry on a (one person) crusade.

    There was an article in the news 2 weeks ago about the 8 states / Feds chasing a guy John Common across 8 states for running Car Warranty and Mortgage Help call centers and admitted that what is allegedly was doing was not right but are having a heck of a time prosecuting him because they can't clearly PROVE his actions were illegal.

    I see that you're attempting affiliate marketing. That is totally OK - just stay out of the dark side. It's like being a Payday Loan business but not becoming a loan shark. OK - not a great example but you get the idea. Focus on making an honest buck and leave this problem to the Man upstairs.

    Bob

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 2/24/2012 at 5:19 PM Accepted
    Yes, there are ethical marketing people out there. The secret to becoming known as one of them is to give WAY, WAY more in value than you receive, or than the other guy, and to do this consistently.

    So, no black hat techniques, no keyword stuffing, no spamming, no list building without a double opt in, no affiliate income without a VISIBLE and well written FTC disclaimer, no link cloaking, no scams, MLM stuff, or any over e-mailing.

    Give ten times the value of the price you ask people to pay, even if, in the early days, this costs you time and or money. Been there. Done that. And slowly, it's beginning to pay off. I began as an affiliate marketing back in 2007. I spent a LOT of money on PPC and made exactly ZERO sales.

    I got mad, I got angry, then I directed that anger towards learning more about direct response marketing.

    It's been FAR from an easy ride. It's cost me time, it's cost me money. It's also pushed me into the top five of this forum and it's got me onto the edges of the online marketing world and onto the radar screens of some well known IM people. And with a little more effort and application, it's going to pay off.

    Do the right thing and be consistent about it and you'll be fine. Avoid the shiny objects that promise instant wealth at the flick of a switch or at the click of a mouse. They're all bullshit. I know because I've bought them and used them and been ripped off several times. Internet marketing is like the music world: for every top artist there are 1,000 wannabes who THINK they can make it but that simply don't put in the effort to get better and better. You have to give to get. The more you give, long term, the more you'll find coming back to you. Hang in there. Keep at it. The rewards are worth it.

    Just keep giving people value on top of value. The money is the last thing you need to focus on. Think first of the value you can offer, then the money will follow in time. Right out of the gate you will make very little money. Time is on your side. Learn as much as you can and then apply your new skills and keep testing things until you arrive at the thing that works best for you.

    I hope this helps. Good luck to you.
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