Probably you became a digital marketer partly because you thought it would be a great way to enjoy a little more freedom and a little less stress and politics. This way, you can focus on completing simple tasks for clients while everyone else stays out of your hair. You get to pick and choose the work and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, or argue with a ‘boss’.
Except none of that is quite true. Because as an internet marketer, you will probably be dealing with clients who will be hiring you for your services. This in turn means you will sometimes be given projects or work to do that you don’t fully agree with or want to do.
And sometimes this can create a moral quandary.
Moral Issues in Marketing
For example, what do you do if someone comes to you and asks you to use your skills to help them promote a health supplement that you believe actually causes more issues than it solves?
In this scenario, you now have the option to do the work and feel a little dirty about it – potentially causing someone out there to waste their money and at the same time hurt themselves with a product that is bad for them.
The other option though is to refuse to do the work, in which case you lose the money in the short term but also make yourself appear more ‘difficult’, which may well mean that you don’t get more work from them in the future either.
To some people, this will seem like a no brainer: it’s wrong to do the work and you need to stand by your morals, so you turn it down!
But this then means that you are now judging the content of the work you are promoting. You now need to ask whether it’s right to judge, or whether you should simply provide an objective service.
Where do you draw the line otherwise? What if you think someone is selling an ebook that isn’t quite up to your standards? What if someone is promoting a view that you don’t agree with?
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the luxury to pick and choose every piece of work that we do. What’s more, is that we are denying people their right to freedom of speech if we do.
What’s the Solution
So, what’s the answer?
Unfortunately, that is not something I can answer for you. Ultimately, this will depend on the type of work you are being asked to do. It will depend on your own values and it will depend on how much you need the money!
The only tip I can provide is to be ready for this. To make a mental note of where you draw the line. And if you’re going to rule out certain types of work, then be sure to advertise that on your website so that clients know in advance and so that you aren’t seen to be picking and choosing on a whim.