content marketing ethics

If you’re an online content creator – be it blogger, podcaster, vlogger, group creator, Twitter expert or Instagrammer – you already know you’re an important part of a wider public discussion. You probably also know that your role in creating content for your traffic comes with a great responsibility. Where you should be respectful, honest and fair to your audience and about the content you’re creating. In other words, you need to know your content marketing ethics – and we’re about to lay them out for you in this post. Keep reading! Why Ethics Are A Core to Great Content Marketing As a matter of fact it is: it’s the club of the most impactful art form there is (well, we think so). It’s the art of creating content. Why exactly do content marketers need some sort of ethics guideline? It’s simple: words are incredibly powerful. In fact, over 50% of consumers trust branded websites and editorial content, according to a Nielsen report. Unlike the editorial content that is published by journalists, there doesn’t seem to be a set-in-stone code of ethics for content marketers. Sure, we know there are a few things we should be doing. But do we follow through? Chances are, the content you’re creating now is going to outlast both its relevance and your own lifetime so it’s critical that it is a truthful representation of the topic for those who access it today and those who access it in the future. Above all else, as a content creator, your job is to be sure you present opinion as opinion and fact as fact. And that’s where the Content Code of Ethics comes into it. While content creation for marketers is very clearly different from journalism, it is still essential to the future of content marketing that we don’t squander the trust of our audiences. That’s why we’ve gone ahead and created our own content marketing code of ethics. A Brief Content Marketing Code of Ethics in 9 Simple Guidelines See what you’re missing, or check off the points you’re covered on. (As you’re reading, tell us in the comments what you’d add to our list!) 1. Know Your Role in Content Marketing Society Some of the most basic elements of a democracy include the freedom of information, freedom of speech and freedom of content creation, be it in hypertext, video, print or audio. So the ability to both produce and distribute independent content is an important democratic right. So, content creator, it’s up to you to protect the freedom of speech. That means not succumbing to the pressure from anyone who may want to prevent the free flow of information, prevent open debates or deny free access to sources. Furthermore, it is the right of a content creator to share information on what goes on in our society and also uncover and disclose matters that may be subjected to criticism. (Disagree? Let us know below! We’re always open to feedback; it’s how we learn and grow). 2. Maintain Responsibility & Integrity No pressure, but you also carry full and personal responsibility for the material contained in your work, no matter what form you are working in. So you should be guarding your own credibility and integrity if you want to be free to act independently. It’s up to you to reject attempts to break down clear distinctions between unbiased content and advertisements. Ads that are intended to exploit or imitate an editorial product aren’t a good idea to take on. Nor are advertisements that undermine trust in your own integrity and your independence in general. You have an obligation to provide your audience with accurate information. That means that every piece of content you create needs to be thoroughly researched. By researching properly, you can avoid error and provide context for your information. By the way, when you’re distinguishing between content marketing and advertising, advertorials and paid guests posts need to be disclosed. 3. Know & Identify Accurately Your Sources As a rule, all your sources of information should be identified, unless this happens to conflict with source protection or some sort of consideration for a third party. You need to be critical with the sources you choose and ensure the information provided is correct. It’s good practice to aim for relevance and diversity when choosing your sources. All your sources of information, data and quotes have to be properly cited. Try to link to further information as often as you can. 4. Fact vs. Fiction: Know Your Rules for Publication & Abide Within Them It’s important to be clear about what is comment and what is factual information. Respect a person’s identity and character and not draw attention to private or personal aspects if they aren’t relevant. You should ensure that introductions, headers and leads don’t go beyond what you’re dealing with in the text. What’s more, always reveal your source when content is quoted from or even based on other content creators. Draw a line between fact and opinion. By all means, make recommendations and offer advice through your content, but represent your opinions as just that. If you’re using graphics, illustrations, photos, audio, video or any other kind of content, it’s important to always credit the original creator. What’s more, you need to be cautious when using photos in any other content than their original intention. 5. Build Audience Trust As a content creator, do you understand that your first and most important responsibility is your audience? A brand possibly pays your salary, but you have an obligation to build a relationship with the target audience through that honest, accurate and helpful content. If you have not done that, you have not done your job. If you want to gain that audience trust, make sure you never distort facts or use any material that misrepresents your content. That also means avoiding imposing your own biases or stereotyping on the information your creating. 6. Know that You Have an Obligation to Be Transparent We don’t need to tell you that content marketing’s … Read more