- What's going on, everybody? Jeremy Funderburk here, author of Never Work the 40 and the leader of the Never Work the 40 movement. And in today's video, we'll explore some of the ethical issues associated with social-media marketing and some tips on how to navigate them. So if you are ready, let's dive in. [MUSIC PLAYING] (SINGING) Listen - So the first thing I want to talk about is the transparency in social-media marketing. Transparency is crucial when it comes to building trust in this social-media marketing world. Businesses and marketers must disclose any paid promotions or sponsors. Businesses and marketers must disclose any sponsored content or paid promotion to avoid misleading customers. This includes using hashtags like #ad or #sponsored to indicate that the post is sponsored. My second tip is to avoid deceptive advertising practices, deceptive advertising practices such as using false or misleading claims, manipulating consumer emotions, or targeting vulnerable groups. That has serious consequences for business. Not only can it damage a brand's reputation but it could also lead to legal repercussions. Businesses should ensure that their marketing campaigns are honest and ethical. The third tip is to respect customer privacy. In today's digital age, protecting the consumer's privacy is of the utmost importance. Businesses and marketers must adhere to data-protection policies and obtain consent from users before using their personal information. Using personal data without consent or for purposes outside of what was originally agreed on, this could lead to ethical and legal issues. The next tip is just to avoid harmful content. Social-media platforms have strict guidelines on what type of content is allowed, and businesses must follow these guidelines while creating content. Promoting harmful or offensive content may damage a brand's reputation and lead to backlash from the public. It's important to consider how the content will be received by the audience before posting it. The fifth thing is balancing business goals and ethical consideration. Businesses and marketers must strike a balance between their business goals and upholding these ethical considerations. While the ultimate goal is to increase sales and revenue, it's important to do it in a way that respects the consumers and protects their rights. So there you have it. Social media presents a number of ethical issues that businesses and marketers must navigate, from transparency to data privacy. From transparency to data privacy to avoiding harmful content, it's important to consider ethical principles while developing your content and your marketing strategy. By doing so, businesses can build trust with their audience, protect their brand's reputation, and avoid legal and ethical issues. So I understand it's not the sexiest video, but it's absolutely needed. It's absolutely essential for you to grow and scale your marketing agency. So I hope you enjoyed the video. If you learned something new, give us a thumbs up for more tips, tricks, and strategies on how to grow and scale your social-media marketing agency. And I want to thank you all for watching, and I will see you on the next video. Peace.