Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype
Jay Baer
The difference between helping and selling is just two letters
If you’re wondering how to make your products seem more exciting online, you’re asking the wrong question. You’re not competing for attention only against other similar products. You’re competing against your customers’ friends and family and viral videos and cute puppies. To win attention these days you must ask a different question: “How can we help?”
Jay Baer’s Youtility offers a new approach that cuts through the clutter: marketing that is truly, inherently useful. If you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you genuinely help someone, you create a customer for life.
Review
Youtility flips traditional marketing on its head, arguing that brands must focus on being genuinely useful rather than just promotional. Through compelling case studies, from Blendtec’s viral videos to Hilton’s real-time concierge service, Baer demonstrates how businesses can earn trust and loyalty by solving problems, answering questions, and adding value before asking for sales.
I feel that the book’s strength lies in its actionable framework, dividing “Youtility” into three types: self-serve information (e.g., FAQs), real-time utility (e.g., chatbots), and ongoing education (e.g., tutorials). While some examples skew toward early digital trends, the core principle – marketing as a service – is timeless.
A must-read for modern marketers, Youtility proves that the best way to stand out is to stop selling and start helping.
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