The Power of Ethics in Marketing

As a journalist with backgrounds in journalism, marketing and public relations, I've seen firsthand the importance of ethics in publications. Whether it be a news article, photograph, video, podcast, social media content or a press release, it's important that content creators ensure their pieces are ethical and follow FTC guidelines.

One challenge news organizations are currently facing is native advertising. Native advertising is when ads look similar to their surroundings, blending with the actual publication/content without interrupting readers. As simple as it seems, native advertising comes with huge consequences.

What's the Big Deal?

When it comes to marketing and content creation, it can be hard to tell what's the right and wrong decision. Ethical SEO is when search engines find the techniques and strategies used are ethical. However, ethics can get in the way of creativity. In fact, out of 400 marketers in the US and UK, 43% said high-pressure sales tactics are unethical. But what makes the marketing unethical?

According to Reuters, 14% of readers can't tell the difference between editorial and branded content. This takes away from the journalist's work and can distract readers from properly retaining information and facts. However, native marketing can become give and take between a marketer and a publisher. This occurs when marketers offer to pay content creators to incorporate paid links in their publications. If news outlets were to do this, it would create a bias in the reporting and therefore completely contradict journalistic ethics and confuse readers.

“From an ethical route, especially journalistic ethics, it is extremely wrong to offer or accept [payment to include links]. But of course, it can and does happen, especially because most bloggers are not journalists. There is a great distinction. I’m a blogger, not a journalist; and most bloggers I work with have not taken any kind of journalistic oath.”

Lauren Baker, Founder of Search Engine Journal and VP of Foundation Digital

How to Flag Native Advertising

As mentioned earlier, native advertising is when an ad blends with the surrounding editorial content. Here are a few signs to look for in native advertising:

• Required Ad or Sponsored Labels
  • This Holiday Inn ad is seamlessly placed on Hotel.com. However, the little "Ad" tab on the top lefthand corner indicates this is not content created by Holiday.com.

• Uniform Formatting
  • If links like the ones below look similar on other websites or platforms and are clustered together, they're most likely native ads.

• Placement!
  • Native ads are usually placed on the side or bottom of an article or blog. They don't interrupt the user experience but are noticeable.

• The Ad Network's Name
  • Another way to spot an ad is if it includes a disclosure or sponsor.

How Native Ads can be more Ethical

According to Reuters, 73% of readers prefer branded content over traditional ads. Therefore, EMarketer predicted in 2019 advertisers would spend $43.9 billion on native display ads. Despite its popularity, here are a few ways advertisers can ensure their ads are still ethical:

1. Follow FTC Guidelines
2. Label Clearly
3. Research
4. Credit the Brand
5. Leave Out The Hard Sales Pitch
6. Stay Out of the News