Marketing for Beginners - How to Market Content Effective and Ethically

I often get asked the question, “How do I create a successful marketing campaign for my product?” To answer that question, I think it’s important to first establish what success means. To some, success is measured in quick sales and clear returns, while to others, success is built on brand credibility, repeat customers who trust the product they’re purchasing.

Crafting a Successful Campaign

When crafting a successful campaign, I advise professionals to start with the intention. Before the pitch, before the strategy, and even before the initial outline, it’s imperative to be sure that your campaign is ethical and aligns with the values of your audience. 

This conversation often comes up in the industry when discussing Trojan Horse Marketing, a common technique that uses persuasive and sometimes misleading storytelling elements to market content to consumers. 

Tips to Market Ethically

To create effective campaigns that don’t comprise your ethics, follow the below tips:

• Follow through on your promises – if you advertise a free item or “incredible” sale, deliver on your word.

• While descriptive, emotive, and eye-catching elements can greatly amplify your campaign, ensure that they’re being implemented from a factual foundation. If you feel the need to lie or mislead audiences to sell your product, your campaign will not succeed long term.

• Ask yourself, “If I saw this ad and clicked through to buy the product, how would I feel?” Would you feel eager to purchase again, or disappointed by an offer that was too good to be true?

  
  

Remember, long term relationships between customers and brands are built on trust, and trust is only established when campaigns are genuine. If you feel the need to deceive your customers or fabricate a story that is “too good to be true” to garner interest from viewers, the best course of action is to take a step back and reevaluate your product and the target audience it serves.