Is internet marketing unethical?

14 years ago

If you want to stay in business - trust your instincts when it comes to doing anything dodgy.

If you don't feel right promoting something - don't do it.

YOU control your online activities so just don't do things you know to be unethical - that shouldn't take much effort unless you are usually unethical and need to force yourself to be ethical now.

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sdentrepreneur 14 years ago

I sell products and Internet Education Business models that I have purchased and been part of creating the value in the product. Nothing unethical here...been Full Time Internet Marketer since 2007, love it !!
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John Atkins

14 years ago

It's unethical if you make it unethical. Just follow your heart, give people
valuable stuff.

As andy sais, if you don't feel right promoting something, just don't do it.

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Dennismw

14 years ago

I'm not saying that I struggle being ethical, I'm asking if it is common for a lot of people to create campaigns around products they have no clue about... I haven't promoted a product yet that I haven't personally had an experience with and feel comfortable recommending to others..... I'm just asking as someone fairly new to this, do a lot of others give IM a bad name due to practices like this?

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globalpro

14 years ago

I always like to be able to promote things I have reviewed. Some times this isn't possible, so I limit what I promote. Can't say something is awesome/life changing if I don't know.

An exception is if I know the creator of the product and know that they always have top quality (have bought from them in the past), then I will run it out.

One thing I never do is say that I have tried it/am using it if I haven't. That's flat out lying and unethical.

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John

Originally Posted by Dennismw

I'm not saying that I struggle being ethical, I'm asking if it is common for a lot of people to create campaigns around products they have no clue about... I haven't promoted a product yet that I haven't personally had an experience with and feel comfortable recommending to others..... I'm just asking as someone fairly new to this, do a lot of others give IM a bad name due to practices like this?

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statelizard 14 years ago

Ethics is a personal choice, what I think is ethical may be in direct contrast to what someone else feels. What it boils down to, is living with yourself. If you want to have sustained success for your business you'll provide honest opinions and reviews of the products that you promote. If the product isn't your own then all you're doing is giving it a review and telling someone how you feel about it. Yes even your sales pitch is nothing more than your opinion of the product, at least that's the way you should look at.

If you haven't used the product then no you shouldn't be claiming that you have, you shouldn't be making wild claims of making X amount of dollars. You can use testimonials from others to do that. But when you're deciding to promote it or not, you should be looking at the product, picking it apart, and then giving the specs for it. It's just like steve said about radioshack, those guys are selling the product based on the technical specs of the product, maybe they've used one over another and have some personal insight. If that's the case then you can use your personal insight, otherwise all you're doing is selling the specs, and that is perfectly ethical.

One of the biggest problems I have with some marketers is that what they sell is the "I made this amount of money and you can too" and then never even tell what it is that the product involves doing. This is a great way to get the new and easily had to buy your product, but it's a crock of crap. If you're promoting a product you haven't used, now what it's supposed to do, know some of the basics about how it proposes to do that, and promote those things.

Yes saying, make $652,587,982 in the next twelve months, is going to get some people to buy the product, but if you're promoting an IM product, why not promote it to the person who is going to pick through the details, make an informed choice and then purchase the product. Two things here, that person is much more likely to be someone that will put in the work to have success with the product. And second, you've now just opened the door to a potentially strong relationship with someone else that may end up having a good online presence, which means another good affiliate for you when you decided to create your own product.

Just my $.02
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Trivum

14 years ago

You can't practically test everything, but what you can do is say, "If I could buy that, would I want to? Does it look like it might do the trick?" Or, assuming that you have no interest in the product, say, "If I were interested in this or needed this, does it look like it might be ok?"

As an internet marketer, you have a much better B.S. detector than most, and you can see when certain things don't add up. Most people still think that when Google puts Adsense ads at the top of their results, that those are organic results. (My brother-in-law did this the other day. I had to tell him three times that those were ads. I still don't know if he gets it.)

So if you're worried about cheating people, just look at yourself as a kind of experienced go-between. You can't guarantee everything, but your judgment is probably better than theirs when it comes to sniffing out rotten deals. Just don't promote anything that you think smells.

When you think about promoting something, pretend that you're making this recommendation to a friend or a relative. Would you tell them it's probably ok (though you have no guarantees), or would you tell them it's probably best to steer clear of this one?

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Steven Wagenheim

14 years ago

This question comes up all the time.

When you go to a Radio Shack and ask the guy behind the counter what
the best zip drive is, do you think he's tried them all...or for that matter
any of them?

There is nothing wrong with selling products you've never tried as long as
you don't lie and say you have and that the product is great.

You can point to testimonials by others. Tell prospects that everybody is
raving about the product.

If everybody had to try every product they sold in the world, nobody would
be able to sell anything and we'd all go hungry and homeless.

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affhelper

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

This question comes up all the time.

When you go to a Radio Shack and ask the guy behind the counter what
the best zip drive is, do you think he's tried them all...or for that matter
any of them?

There is nothing wrong with selling products you've never tried as long as
you don't lie and say you have and that the product is great.

You can point to testimonials by others. Tell prospects that everybody is
raving about the product.

If everybody had to try every product they sold in the world, nobody would
be able to sell anything and we'd all go hungry and homeless.

Very well said

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JMPruitt

14 years ago

I agree with a lot of what has been said here...

You cannot control how other's run their business but you can control your own.

Growing up, I was always told, If you don't like the ways someone does something, figure out what they are doing, and do it better..

I think of this every day when I am working on my business, and using what I learn from what I see others doing, I just try to do it in a better way that I personally think is ethical.

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SullyUI

14 years ago

I think that the golden rule is to just not promote that which you would not buy yourself, or products that are clearly scams or otherwise illegal.

Although I don't think you have to buy what you promote, if you're really not sure, go ahead and buy the product! Sure it's an extra cost, but at least you will have the peace of mind to know that you're promoting something worthwhile. And, you'll be better fit to sell if you've bought the product and know its features and benefits firsthand.

There are basic two categories of products: scams and legitimate products, and I think if you stick to promoting legitimate products that really help people that there's nothing unethical about internet marketing at all.

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sbucciarel

Banned 14 years ago

I won't promote products that I don't believe in. I sell mostly my own products, but I have a couple of niche sites I promote ... mostly Amazon niche sites with real products ... not info products and not CPA products. There are so many CPA products that I have no idea if they are quality product or not and just don't promote them. Most of them seem like ripoffs to me.

It isn't Internet Marketing that is unethical, any more so than any other kind of advertising .... it's marketers themselves who are ethical ... or not.

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JMPruitt 14 years ago

Originally Posted by sbucciarel

It isn't Internet Marketing that is unethical, any more so than any other kind of advertising .... it's marketers themselves who are ethical ... or not.

That hit the nail on the head right there. It is like saying fire is bad because it can hurt people. It can when you dont use it right. But it can also save your life...
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mojojuju

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennismw

How do we as internet marketers avoid being unethical? Is it right to promote products (physical or digital) that we have never tried or tested ourselves?

I don't have a problem with it. Similarly, I didn't have a problem when I used to work at a retail store selling products that I have never tried or tested myself.

I also spent time working at a restaurant where I served food that I never tried or tested.

There's really no difference.

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MarkAnderson

14 years ago

It may be unethical if you try to find one's way only money.

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BillyBee 14 years ago

This whole issue largely disappears when you stop selling "make money" products and get into "real" markets.

When you're dealing in non-IM niches, it's a lot easier to tell what's a legitimate product or not.

Let's face it, the make money niche has a sort of slimy sheen to it sometimes. I think that's why your ethical radar is beeping.

Perhaps your personality is not cut out to sell in the IM niche.

Any time you sell something that you haven't used yourself, or promote results that you personally haven't achieved, it can feel like lying to your prospects and customers.

Maybe that's the "dilemma" you say you're feeling. Just something to think about.
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jennypitts

14 years ago

I think everyone makes a valid point. In my opinion "Ethical" is a word that can be interpreted by many in their own ways. I do agree that when you go into a store you can not expect the the salespeople KNOW the difference or have tried all of the products they are selling, yet you EXPECT honest opinions. This means that if the salesperson has not tried the most expensive product, you expect him or her to tell you they have not tried it but maybe share valuable information that can help you make a decision. For example, I have gone to restaurants and I have asked the waiter or waitress if a particular dish is worth the $25 price. If the waiter tells me they have not tried it but recommend something more affordable but they know it is very good, I may dare to try the more expensive dish even without her or his recommendation.

Now when it comes to internet marketing it can be a little tricky. Because of the fact that people are not seeing you, I want to build trust and confidence in my client, so I do not sell anything I do not believe in. If you do not want to buy and try something before selling it, then trust your instincts. If those fail, then you are better off swaying away from that product.

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Dennismw

14 years ago

wow I appreciate everyone's opinion on this! I have mostly done physical products up till this point and my first experience with clickbank and digital products is it's sometimes really hard to see things clearly. Physical products it's a lot easier to just give descriptions and features of the product and just leave it up to the customer to make an informed decision...

A lot of the sales pages for digital products or informational products have so much hype surrounding them that I think thats where I start to get uncomfortable.... I agree with a lot of the posts and I appreciate the responses. It's good to know that this forum is full of internet marketers that are trying to be honestly and trustworthy in their business.

Dennis

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PerfectedWeb

14 years ago

I think that promoting shady products or services is indeed unethical. Why would you prompt a prospect to buy something you wouldn't even want use yourself? For money you say? The fact is you wouldn't want to be the person who get ripped off by the faceless marketer, right?

However, I don't think you do have to try every product you promote as long as the product has been acclaimed by a reasonably large group of real users. Just common sense.

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Hyaku_Man 14 years ago

If your market is North American, then you don't have to really consider the issue IMO. North America is just one giant marketplace, that's all it is. What culture do we have aside from consumer culture? People learn to go to work, do their thang so they can buy some stuff and get their self-esteem from that stuff. And it's so conditioned that most people actually do get their self esteem and the meaning of their life out of buying that stuff. You even see it on here with people addicted to buying WSOs, like the WSOs themselves are their excitement in life - reading about how someone else makes money. But it does give them that excitement, because they've been conditioned from a young age to respond like that - to stuff.

So on a basic level you have to remember that most people just like buying things. As long as it's not total crap. Beyond that it's good to offer as much value as you can so you can feel like you have a soul, and gain additional customer loyalty, but as long as you're selling people something that gives them that basic satisfaction of consumption, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you want to be sure, offer money back guarantees, or check if the affiliate merchant you're promoting does. Then there's no issue.

Of course I did say as long as it's not total crap. I can't support slanging those sneaky rebills and stuff because it doesn't give people that basic satisfaction I'm talking about. It makes them feel cheated.
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J Bold

14 years ago

yawn yawn yawn

Got to go with Steven Wagenheim on this one.

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Kella Bella

14 years ago

This is actually an interesting topic as I am working on a project and getting it ready to launch and while looking at my options, of which there are millions basically, my first thought was does it feel right to me. I am not intending to judge anyone's ethics on this forum just saying for myself I too would feel uncomfortable selling a product that claims something outrageous like 50 million a year when I know I have not made that much and well.........some things are usually common sense.

A lot of times though when you look at selling something, even if you have not tried it you can usually tell if there is even a possibility of the claims being achievable. I sold yellow page advertising for Bellsouth for ten years. I never owned my own business or placed my own ad but I really did believe in the product and I saw how it helped my customers grow their businesses. I felt completely ethical with what I did. I only say this to point out that you don't have to have direct experience with specific parameters on a product to believe in it and sell it ethically. HTH :-)

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Istvan Horvath

14 years ago

Actually, it is not really an "interesting topic" - for me it's more like misleading topic (the thread title).

Internet Marketing per se is neutral. Neither ethical nor unethical.

People can make ethical or unethical decisions when selling. But even those usually have nothing to do with the fact whether they tested a product or not.

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davidfstyles

14 years ago

Hey Dennis.

Yes, I found this was a barrier to me when I first started out in IM. But then I got to see that as long as I was adding value and it feels right then it's all good. But definitely go with what rings true for you. If it doesn't ring true... don't do it :-)

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Jay F

14 years ago

I really don't understand the dilemma here. I would say most of the people here are sitting at home when they decide what to sell, or not. No one is twisting your arm. So, you make your own choice about what to sell.

I saw dog poop when I was out for a walk today. I didn't step in it.

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I'm working on some new things. So, nothing to promote just yet.

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KCLaw

14 years ago

If you do unethical things that is unethical. So for me, giving your best and not to spam others work is not unethical.

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Barry Unruh

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennismw

How do we as internet marketers avoid being unethical? Is it right to promote products (physical or digital) that we have never tried or tested ourselves?

Let's get really REAL for just a moment. How many sales people from top chemical companies have actually worked with or purchased a gallon of their very best acid?

How many industrial conveyor belt sales people have ever purchased, installed, and tested a two ton capacity coal sorting belt?

How many pharmacists have consumed every drug they sell?

Now, what was your question? Why is it we expect different standards for online "sales people" than are found in the rest of the business world?

I'm guessing even the book promoters who walk into the Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other book sellers offices have never purchased, nor read the majority of the books they are recommending.

Is it better to have read or evaluated the product, of course. Just don't feel guilty if you have not. You are doing a sales job, based upon the facts presented to you by the producer of the product. It is the same thing every sales person in the "REAL WORLD" is doing.

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Mark-Dickenson

14 years ago

Hello Dennis,

This is a great question as I have always had these issues as well

What I do is mostly promote physical products...electronics, household items etc where there isn't that feeling of desperation by the consumer

I think the areas where IM lends itself to being unethical is in situations where people are desperate ie making money, losing weight etc

So what I do in my diet product niches is state very clearly that while this supplement seems to be pretty popular, nothing works 100% of the time and no pill will replace poor eating habits

And most of my article on this is facts about the product(ie specific ingreditents, research of the ingredients etc) and not salesy

When it comes to IM products, I simply won't promote them unless I actually have the product and it works

Hope this helps

-Mark

Originally Posted by Dennismw

How do we as internet marketers avoid being unethical? Is it right to promote products (physical or digital) that we have never tried or tested ourselves? I sometimes have this dilemma when i am working on a new campaign. I try to purchase and test all the products I promote, thats why I feel completely comfortable recommending WA to people. I don't have an issue receiving an affiliate commission for something I truly believe in. In fact, when I purchase a new product or tool myself I usually try to purchase through someone's affiliate link that I trust. I have bought products through jackie lee, lynn terry, and potpiegirl because I trust their recommendations and I believe that they provide us with valuable information every day.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this, I want to be respected as an internet marketer, and sometimes it's easy to throw out affiliate links all over the place without truly knowing what you are promoting.

Dennis

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Caleb D Miller

14 years ago

I struggle with this too sometimes when it seems like I have an opportunity to make some serious cash quickly... but unethically.

It seems best to have a motto of never doing anything against conscience.

I think Einstein said "never do anything against conscience, even if the state demands it."

You don't want to have sleepless nights later feeling bad about methods you used to promote stuff. Plus, theoretically you should be much more confident in methods you feel are ethical. I.e., you would promote more often and with more vigor because you truly believed in it. I sucked when I tried MLM because i honestly didn't believe in it and didn't want friends to get sucked into it.

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oggobis

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennismw

How do we as internet marketers avoid being unethical? Is it right to promote products (physical or digital) that we have never tried or tested ourselves? I sometimes have this dilemma when i am working on a new campaign. I try to purchase and test all the products I promote, thats why I feel completely comfortable recommending WA to people. I don't have an issue receiving an affiliate commission for something I truly believe in. In fact, when I purchase a new product or tool myself I usually try to purchase through someone's affiliate link that I trust. I have bought products through jackie lee, lynn terry, and potpiegirl because I trust their recommendations and I believe that they provide us with valuable information every day.

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on this, I want to be respected as an internet marketer, and sometimes it's easy to throw out affiliate links all over the place without truly knowing what you are promoting.

Dennis

Have found the exit way. Why wouldn't just promote stuffs from who you trusted and believed that they provide value.

Stuffs from people with good reputation.

Second what Kim Roach said, "You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just sell what already selling'

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Is internet marketing unethical?

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