YOUTILITY

Why Smart Marketing Is About Help, Not Hype

The difference between helping and selling is just two letters. But those two letters are critically important to your company’s success.

You’re not competing for attention only against other, similar products. You’re competing for attention against everything. To win in this hyper-competitive environment, you must ask “How can we help?”

If you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you genuinely help someone, you create a customer for life. This is Youtility.

Includes interviews with dozens of companies practicing Youtility, and provides 6 blueprints for building Youtility in your company.

Available for pre-order soon (get up to 7 exclusive bonuses) at http://YoutilityBook.com
PR 2.0 6  |  Add Yours

The Power of Truth, Woot-Style

woot one day one deal sm The Power of Truth, Woot StyleOn a recent trip to New York, I was pondering the future of the in-flight magazine and bemoaning its general editorial shoddiness when I stumbled upon an extraordinary interview with Matt Rutledge from Woot about their policy of telling the truth and acknowledging mistakes. (hat tip to US Airways Magazine)

Since the first caveman painted a sign depicting always low prices, brands have believed in the primacy of telling people how great they are, even if it doesn’t square with reality. As my friend Roger Hurni from Off Madison Ave likes to say about Applebee’s (and others):

“If you have to tell customers you’re the neighborhood bar and grill, you’re definitely NOT the neighborhood bar and grill.”

Truth: What a Concept

Woot takes an entirely antithetical approach, and it’s working. Revenue this year is estimated to be $117 million, and staff has doubled recently to 110. The Woot model is based on telling the truth to the customer even if the truth isn’t positive, and using the resulting shock to build extreme loyalty. The Woot reviews of each product they sell are inspirationally objective. If the product has flaws, Woot makes sure you know about it before buying.

Here’s what Rutledge says about brutal honesty being a scarce commodity for U.S. consumers:

“Every commercial pitches a great product. Every magazine has a great product. Every small business is around because of their great product. Then it’s up to the consumer to find the truth.”

Bingo. A major reason honesty works as a marketing tactic (and therefore a main reason transparent customer service via social media works) is because it’s so entirely unexpected by a consumer audience that has been bullshitted to death. 

This is a nation of forgivers. If you apologize well, we’ll forget and forgive. Ask Mike Tyson. Ask Exxon. Ask Tylenol. Ask Firestone. Why more companies refuse to use truth as a marketing tactic and customer service as its delivery mechanism is maddening. 

Says Rutledge:

“By acknowledging our mistakes, we overcome negative feelings. That becomes the consumer experience that people brag about.” 

I’ll Woot! to that.

pf button both The Power of Truth, Woot Style
About Jay Baer

Jay Baer is a hype-free social media and content strategist & speaker, and author of Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype. Jay is the founder of http://convinceandconvert.com and host of the Social Pros podcast.

Join 21,000 of your peers

Receive "One Social Thing" our daily email with a single, important social media or content marketing topic. Plus, as a free gift, get our ebook on how to measure content marketing.

Genesis Theme Framework

Convince & Convert Runs on
the Genesis Framework

The Genesis Framework, which powers this site, offers a huge selection of amazing designs which can change the way your site looks. They are easy to customize and include layout options as well as custom widgets, so get Genesis now!

  • http://tysoncrosbie.com tysoncrosbie

    Another great post Jason.

    To me truth and honesty are a way of life, it is great to see the marketing world catching on. I understand the analysis of the strategy of telling the truth and being honest with the customer..

    But..

    I fear that when it becomes just another marketing strategy it loses its value. For me the truth, it just feels different when it’s true.

    :)

  • http://www.tysoncrosbie.com tysoncrosbie

    Another great post Jason.

    To me truth and honesty are a way of life, it is great to see the marketing world catching on. I understand the analysis of the strategy of telling the truth and being honest with the customer..

    But..

    I fear that when it becomes just another marketing strategy it loses its value. For me the truth, it just feels different when it’s true.

    :)

  • http://twitter.com/andismit/status/1034612082 Andrew Smith

    “Honesty works as a marketing tactic as it’s so unexpected by consumers who’ve been bullshitted to death.” @jaybaer http://bit.ly/RCUH

  • http://netlippy.livejournal.com/ Tina

    Honesty from a corporation just adds to their integrity as a business, and improves the likelihood that I will repeat business with them. What’s unfortunate is when you have organizations in the government, like the FDA, giving blanket approval for unsafe drugs and foods, and then truth, and integrity, is out the window.

    Tina’s last blog post..Beach Holidays along the New-Jersey Coast!

  • http://netlippy.livejournal.com/ Tina

    Honesty from a corporation just adds to their integrity as a business, and improves the likelihood that I will repeat business with them. What’s unfortunate is when you have organizations in the government, like the FDA, giving blanket approval for unsafe drugs and foods, and then truth, and integrity, is out the window.

    Tina’s last blog post..Beach Holidays along the New-Jersey Coast!

  • letstalkandchat

    If you’re looking for webinar software, then check out Evergreen Business System. Its perfect for marketers and let’s you automate the scheduling of your webinars, build your list, and even follow up with your webinar registrants. If you’re going to buy Evergreen Business System, then you might as well get a free bonus! So check out http://www.mikelmurphy.com/evergreen-business-system-bonus-webinar-software/ and you’ll get a great bonus that tells you how to create a webinar, what is a webinar, and a blueprint for making a successful one. None of the other people offering bonuses are offering this. Hurry in case the guy (some dude that worked on Lord of the RIngs) offering the bonus decides to pull it down.