Hi everyone! I’m a bit new to this community but I have been involved in the Techlore forum (RIP) and other privacy spaces for a while now. Hoping to post on here every once in a while.
So, I’ve been trying to start a website development and tech support (including privacy consulting as-well) business and am currently working on putting together a marketing strategy. One thing I’ve found frustrating with many of the books and online articles and videos on the subject is that while the principles around it make sense, they tend to recommend marketing through methods which do not respect either my privacy or the privacy of potential customers, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For example, running Facebook ads, using Google’s ad network to advertise in either search or directly on websites with Google ads, sponsoring YouTubers or TikTok influencers, or posting on social media myself regularly are very common examples of methods to work into a strategy. However, as one might expect, none of these are particularly great. So, as someone who wants to build up a business without sacrificing the privacy of myself and of potential clients, what options do I have to market my services in a reasonably ethical way?
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I don’t believe privacy and marketing are compatible with each other. Simply put, you’re going to have a break a few eggs to make that omelette.
I would say find the best way to market that’s best for your business as that’s the priority. Publicity and privacy do not go together (even with how you do it, not just what you use to do it).
If privacy is the priority, then network and word of mouth are your solutions but they are slow, tedious, and will not yield sustainable results in the short or medium term. Even your long term will be less than if you choose another route because all of it depends on how best you can get known by whomever/your market segment.
Also, define ethical. Point is, what you’re asking can only happen naturally by you putting out value in the world for them to see and then consider you for your services.
But @nateb may have a few words of wisdom for you should he choose to share.
Or try doing traditional marketing where there’s no targeted advertising or data of users to go off of and is privacy friendly
That would include billboards, Radio and Television
contrary to popular belief many especially around the Gen X and above generation still watch TV or listen radio, the billboards are meant more on the Millenial - Gen A side thaat don’t consume those media types
you can also try influencer marketing with refferal networks too where you just tagret an expected audience
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Either way, your privacy can only be respected so much because you’re trying to put yourself out there. But sure.. your options are also valid avenues for marketing. But they can get expensive real fast and as a new business, these are just one time things depending on the budget you have.
So, given the costs, I deem these out of scope but that’s my opinion.
this is true
Internal operations of a company and stuff like can remain confidential it’s not like there’s a legality in it (with exception of employee data amd stuff like that), when it comes to thingd marketing to consumers, there’s not much to expect in terms of privacy, as you said especially when you essentially have to be public facing expect for gaining trust.
but for better or for worse these 3 are basically the more “ethical” options
that is if you’re keen on avoiding big tech ad network but even as someone striving to be a business owner I wouldn’t necessarily dismiss them and even then the platforms I plan on doing the community discussion on is Matrix bridged with platforms including ones that have disregard for privacy which is Instagram, Messenger, Discord, WhatsApp etc.
but at least I’m not planning to limit people to specific platforms and that would be considered ethical even while advertising on these big tech networks (that is about the main thing) [Basically it’s how mostly you operate is what makes it more ethical than where exactly are you advertising, if you couldn’t tell even PG is on YouTube and Twitter and Bluesky which are considered in a way big tech and have a huge reliance on GitHub which is now owned by Microsoft. LMG (Linus Media Group) Would love to do Floatplane wholly for videos but they have reliance on Youtube for reaching audiences despite that and more]
I personally take the approach on, even if niché, give audience the options for the sake of respect rather than forcing them into something they don’t like
(Exhibit A, I now use Codeberg for projects while mirroring to Github, Exhibit B: The Matrix Community plan I mentioned)
Look, even though there are ways to do it as nicely as possible, you’re forgetting that this is marketing. If your business succeeding is a goal, there should be no limits to how you can and should market. One should use anything and everything at their disposal. It’s the nature of the game.
Otherwise, you’re only setting up yourself for unsustainability and probable failure. Like I said, marketing and privacy is incompatible. It can’t be done if you want to meet your goals. Because no one in the business (any business) is ethical with marketing, doing it this way is simply not valid because you’re not even playing the same sport. It’s a dog eat dog world and we’re all wearing milk-bone underwear. The only goal is how long we can keep running and surviving if not thriving from this proverbial dog that is late stage capitalism.
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There’s a gap in wisdom we both have not to mention our age difference. My life experience, personal and professional, tells me this. OP can take our advice based on his. That’s pretty much all I have to say.
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Your advice is very sound too 
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OP can maintain his ethics in the service they may provide. But should not have limits until they are hired to do so.
Some thoughts on this:
These advertising techniques don’t inavde the users privacy also the users have already chosen to be on these platforms.
The are also creators on private platforms you can sponsor, Proton regularly sponsor The Linux Experiment who also uploads to PeerTube.
You can way the money you are feeding into these platforms against the Improvements you bring to society. Brave buys ads an on YouTube, but people that get converted through these ads are significantly bigger los to the advertising industry than what Brave paid for the ad.
From what you wrote I assume a lot of your focus will go on search ads. What you can do is match every Euro you spend on Google ads, on DuckDuckGo or StartPage ads. Or donate an equal amount to EFF or something.
Idk about other countries, but here in Germany magazins like c’t c't: Magazin für Computertechnik | heise online are surprisingly popular, ads there don’t invade the readers privacy. You can also look at what mullvad does Advertising that targets everyone | Mullvad VPN
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Second this
SEO & PPC site ads can be invasive and manipulate the web in ways users dont expect. Nobody owns the web, tracking and marketing across sites is indisputably invasive. Hijacking search engines to sell products is a net negative to society
The social media contract is different - users use a free proprietary tool in exchange for advert money & algorithmic manipulation, explicitly agreeing to this through TOS. Users who are offended by this can stop using the platform.
I see no moral issue with social media marketing. In 2026, it’s probably the most effective channel too
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