A Force for Good. Do your bit to make the internet a safer place.

On the 30^th anniversary of the World Wide Web its inventor Tim Berners-Lee is urging governments, companies and citizens to tackle hacking, crime and abusive language and “stand up for a free, open and safe web that benefits everyone”.

In an open letter published for his World Wide Web Foundation he said “…while the web has created opportunity, given marginalised groups a voice, and made our daily lives easier, it has also created opportunity for scammers, given a voice to those who spread hatred, and made all kinds of crime easier to commit. Against the backdrop of news stories about how the web is misused, it’s understandable that many people feel afraid and unsure if the web is really a force for good”.

Heavy words. But apart from signing up to Berners-Lee’s Contract for the Web, how can marketers ensure that they are helping make the internet a safer place? PromoVeritas think that a good place to start is by ensuring your campaigns are always compliant and fair.

Here are our top tips for making the web a better place:

1. Follow the rules for running social media promotions – Every platform has its own set of rules and you need to also consider the CAP Code too.
2. Terms & Conditions – All social media promotions must have a solid set of terms that layout the main rules of your promotion – how and when to enter, the prize, any exclusions etc. as well as the individual platforms’ disclaimer copy.
3. T&Cs link – Most importantly your promotional post must contain a link to the Terms to allow entrants to read the rules.
4. Data extraction – you must ensure you have collected all entrant data correctly to carry out fair winner selection. For some platforms this means setting up your promotion ahead of time or you may need to use experts to make sure all the data is extracted properly.
5. Winner selection – To ensure full compliance winners must be selected independently and randomly. Using an independent winner verification service like ours to run a prize draws or judge competitions is always recommended.
6. Influencers – You can no longer bamboozle the public by hiding the fact that you have an arrangement with an Influencer. Always follow the Competitions and Markets Authority’s guidelines about social media endorsements.
7. Data Protection – If you are processing or handling any personal data you must be fully GDPR compliant. Your promotion can only request positive consent – so clarify what you are doing with data and do not use pre-ticked boxes.

PromoVeritas ensures that all the promotions we run around the world are compliant and safe to enter. The internet has come a long way in 30 years, and it can be hard to keep up with all the rules and guidelines in such a fast changing environment. To find out the very latest join us at our next complimentary Breakfast Briefing all about Social Media and Influencer Marketing where we will be joined by the Competitions and Markets Authority who will present their latest guidelines on social media endorsements. To sign up to the Breakfast which will be held in April, or to find out more about how we can help you make your next social media campaign both compliant and compelling contact info@promoveritas.com or call 0203 325 6000.

Image Credit: Tim Berners-Lee courtesy of  ITU Pictures