The growth of social media is almost too big to comprehend. It has given entrepreneurs the world over the opportunity to reach out to potential customers anywhere, thereby also greatly increasing their success rate. Thanks to these new opportunities, business owners can sell their products and services from behind a keyboard, using social media as their main tool.

These advantages are tremendous and have truly change the world of commerce. However, whenever there is a new tool or method, there are also those who start to abuse it for personal gain. This is why there is now an extreme need for specialists like Matthew Knouff, who have developed best practice methods relating to social media and ethics. Following those methods ensures that people do not abuse the system, but instead use it to provide integral and honest success for their enterprise. Social media ethics have become a crucial element for businesses who want to build a positive brand image.

Why People Use Social Media

There are five key reasons why people use social media:

  1. To socialize with their friends.
  2. To improve businesses.
  3. To meet new friends.
  4. To be entertained.
  5. To find information about any subject that interests them and that pertains to their lives.

Key Pointers for Social Media Ethics

Matthew Knouff is in the process of researching what social media ethics are, and how they should be implemented. While this is a big work in process, a number of key strategies have already been identified:

  1. Entrepreneurs should never attempt to promote their products by using the profiles of other people, unless they have their explicit consent to do so. Some people will post their information anywhere, including on the walls of their competitors, and that is a terrible way of getting attention and will not lead to new clients. Instead, it will create annoyance in others and develop a negative reputation.
  2. Entrepreneurs should not use social media to spam their promotional messages. While it is certainly true that the more people who receive your message, the better, this has to be done in a way that is positive and doesn’t turn people against the product or service. Hence, messages should be sent out in a way that is targeted to their needs.
  3. Content should always be entertaining and of high value. It should encourage people to visit a website because it fits with their personal interests and because they have a genuine desire to learn more about it.
  4. Entrepreneurs should never engage in confrontations, arguments, or debates on social media. Presenting opinions in this manner develops a negative reputation. Indeed, even brands that have a particular ethical focus, such as fighting animal cruelty, will not seek out those who are pro animal testing just to debate with them.
  5. Content should be created in such a way that people respond to it by sharing their own opinions. This will increase involvement and, therefore, brand loyalty.