This is a listicle, yes, but it’s also a story.
For over seven years, I worked as a web designer and marketing strategist for small, women-owned businesses and later — an environmental nonprofit.
There was a time when these roles felt really good to me. They felt right, fulfilling, and enjoyable. Up to a point! I’ll tell you more about that point in a little while.
Growing up mostly homeschooled, I’m no stranger to teaching myself how to do things or finding teachers online to guide me within the subjects I was interested in. It’s no different with marketing and web design. I was able to tap into a wellspring of knowledge from the wealth of creators we have access to on YouTube and the rest of the internet.
I learned so many of the tips and tricks for getting people to book a call, press the buy button, sign up for a newsletter, or what have you. While I believed that I was using my power for good, it became clear to me — slowly, creepingly — that this was only a story I was telling myself.
Grey areas can be weird, even though they’re so common in nature. Who am I to say what’s right and what’s wrong? I don’t believe I have the authority to do that for you, but I’m doing that for me. I still have a desire to help care workers and edge-walkers and soil-tenders and storytellers get their work out there and find their people.
This list is a list of the ways marketers relinquish their creative power to something to the tune of “this is just the way it is.” I offer it to you below as a way to map out some of the practices I won’t be partaking in as a person who builds digital experiences. We deserve better IMO.
1.) Popups
Honestly, I’ve always strongly disliked popups. I used to steer clients away from them even at the beginning of my marketing career, though there were plenty of times we added them in. Apparently, sometimes they’re better for the bottom line, but man, they’re annoying!
In the world we live in, I believe it’s highkey a crime to consciously steal someone’s time or attention. There are more insidious things in this world that steal attention compared to website popups, but these guys make it really obvious what’s going on.
At this point, I don’t believe I’m making websites for people who need popups to captivate or convince their audiences. If I’m playing in the popup game, I’m playing the wrong game.
Don’t mind the drama, but a popup feels like a hungry ghost coming through the screen. ARE YOU SURE?! PLEASE DON’T ABANDON MEEE. YOU NEED THIS THING. IF YOU CLOSE THIS POPUP, YOU DON’T LIKE DISCOUNTS!!
I’d do away with all of them if I could, but there’s me trying to control things again. There must be some cosmic reason for popup windows.
2.) High/manufactured urgency in sales copy
Well, this one works, too. But what can I say?
I don’t like it.
I believe in honoring your capacity. I believe in letting people know how many spots are in your program or that there’s only a few left. I don’t believe in creating scarcity and urgency in a culture that deeply needs to slow down, to learn to trust ourselves, and to be with what is.
Adding to that noise does not feel good or purposeful, and I don’t want to support anything that relies on those things to sell what they’re offering. The offering should be able to hold its own, speak for itself.
3.) Dark patterns
Here’s one I never did partake in. You can see examples of it often once you begin to recognize it. Dark patterns are a conglomeration of nasty manipulation tactics heavily used online. From Lexology:
“Dark patterns is a user interface that has been crafted to trick or manipulate users into making choices that are detrimental to their interest. Dark patterns manifest in different shapes and forms i.e. practices, such as, drip pricing, trick questions, nagging, disguised ads, bait and switch, roach motel etc.”
Things like hiding important information from customers, making subscriptions difficult to cancel, obfuscating the fact that you’ll charge junk fees, and misleading ads are examples of this kind of thing.
Maybe I’ll do a separate post that goes into more detail on different kinds of dark marketing patterns.
4.) Big-brand analytics platforms
This is a practice I did use in my business previously.
Now listen, I appreciate data. Without gathering data, it can be difficult to measure results and determine where your time and energy should go when it comes to your marketing efforts.
BUT. Some of those big brands are just evil or entirely unconscious (which would make sense, because they’re brands, not humans.) Personally, the big brands have enough data from my clients and I. I’m not down with handing them over more than they already have.
If a client needs to use an analytics platform, I’ll find another way to get them connected with the data they need or to measure what they need to measure. This opinion of mine is sorta sacrilegious in the web design community, but this is my personal opinion and practice.
Is there such a thing as ethical marketing?
So, there we go. 4 marketing strategies that I either won’t do anymore or haven’t participated in.
Is there a way to market your products and services ethically? Yes, but I don’t know exactly where the boundaries are. I suspect they are boundaries that change depending on who you are and what you’ve experienced.
Marketing is magic, it is a narrative, it is propaganda, but there are ways you can communicate honestly about what you have to offer and find people who can genuinely benefit from it. You get to determine what’s right for you and your business.
