Claire Matz has been on Facebook since 2004, back when you needed a university email address to get in. She has worked for the French government in New York, a design agency in Germany and a digital think tank in Paris. Today she runs The Social Palm, where she manages social media for sustainable and ethical brands. She also makes art.
We do very similar jobs. So when she joined me on episode 10 of (re)connect, I wanted to ask her the question we both hear all the time. Can social media be ethical? And if it can, what does that look like on a regular Tuesday when you have a post to schedule?
Here is what I took away from our conversation.
What is ethical social media marketing?
Ethical social media marketing means using social platforms in a way that matches the values your business stands for. Your content and the way you interact with people are transparent and intentional. You leave out manipulative tactics like follow/unfollow strategies, bots, false scarcity and pressure-based wording. You keep asking your community what they want, and you adapt.
Claire puts it as a question: does how you show up online match your business values?
Social media is a mirror and an amplifier
"Social media for me is like a mirror, it's an amplifier," Claire told me. "We see some of the very best in humanity and some of the very worst."
She reminded me what these platforms were built for: connecting people and creating networks. In French we still say réseaux sociaux, social networks. English moved to "social media", and Claire thinks that change in wording says a lot. "Now we're all little media companies producing so much content," she said.
That leaves every purpose-driven brand with a choice. Do you play the broadcasting game, do you keep fostering connections, or do you find a balance between the two?
Claire still sees a lot to love. Social media broke down barriers. A small brand can talk to a founder on the other side of the world. It can ask its community which logo they prefer with a story sticker, when the same answer used to require a consumer panel and a big budget. She calls it "a great equalizer", one that gives "a fighting chance to smaller companies".
The "Instagram collapses tomorrow" test
Social media is borrowed ground. "We put in a lot of time and effort into platforms that we don't own and don't control," Claire said. Platforms change owners and priorities. RIP Twitter.
We are both noticing that eco-conscious followers are leaving some short-form platforms. Claire's advice is to ask your community and adapt. If your ideal customers are boycotting a platform, it may be time to reevaluate whether it still makes sense for you. You can also give Instagram one clear job, like bringing people to your in-person events and your mailing list.
Her test is one I am keeping. Should Instagram collapse tomorrow, could your business still survive? Would people still know how and where to find you?
The behind-the-curtain test
How do you know if your social media matches your values? Claire looks at two things: what you post, and how you interact with people.
Picture a sustainable brand that relies on follow/unfollow strategies, bots, fully AI-generated content and false scarcity. "There's a huge disconnect," she said. Her check is simple. If the people you are trying to reach could see what is going on behind the curtain, would they agree?
Words matter here too. Claire stopped saying "audience" because it sounds like "me talk, you listen". She says community.
Consistency is part of it. Do people recognize your brand voice across your website, your emails and your social media? With so many touchpoints, that harmony is what creates trust.
Choose the platform that fits your content and your time
I don't recommend that small business owners dive into four platforms at once. Each one needs its own strategy, and trying to do it all is a fast road to burnout.
Claire and I choose the same way. Look at the type of content you have, how much time you have, and what you enjoy making. If filming short videos is hard for your business, a Reels-heavy plan won't last. If you love writing, Substack might suit you better. If you want to reach industrial companies, go to LinkedIn.
Before you post anything, Claire wants you to answer a few questions. What is the strategy? Why do you want to be there? Who are you trying to reach?
Sustainable has to include you
Being paid to be on Instagram makes phone boundaries hard. Claire's answer is slow mornings, time in her garden, and weekly ceramics and darkroom photography workshops. It's hard to be on your phone when your hands are covered in clay.
The ideas come from there too. A walk, pulling weeds, planting flower bulbs: that is when a post or a newsletter shows up. It took both of us a long time to stop feeling guilty about time away from the computer. I now see it as the most valuable part of my day.
Claire left me with a distinction I keep coming back to. There is a difference between eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable. And sustainable includes you. "What is sustainable for you, and what does that look like?"
Listen to the full conversation
We also talk about growing up between Texas and France, Claire's new artiste-auteur status, and why she gave 50% of her first night of art sales to organizations she loves.
Listen to episode 10 of (re)connect wherever you get your podcasts.
Find Claire at thesocialpalm.com, @thesocialpalm and @clairematzart.
Want support showing up on social media in a way that matches your values? That is what we do at Green Socials. Get in touch.
